


An Apple A Day

by professional_benaddict, Teddy1008



Series: One Step A Day [1]
Category: Doctor Strange (2016), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Ageplay, Alternate Universe - Medical, Daddy Stephen, Daddy Steve, Daddy Tony, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Little Bucky, Little Peter, Littles Are Known, M/M, Medical Trauma, Non-Sexual Age Play, Peter has some past medical trauma, Stephen is a surgeon, Tony works in administration at the hospital
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:07:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 21,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24044104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/professional_benaddict/pseuds/professional_benaddict, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Teddy1008/pseuds/Teddy1008
Summary: Peter has a Daddy, and he is the best Daddy in the world. He does everything for him, makes him delicious food, gets him dressed, buys him Happy Meals and plays with him. He’s everything he could have wanted from a Daddy. But, what happens when Tony meets another Daddy? And said Daddy is a doctor? What will Peter think of him, considering he is terrified of doctors? You know what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away… Or is this new Daddy someone Peter wants in his life too?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Peter Parker, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, Peter Parker/Stephen Strange, Peter Parker/Tony Stark, Peter Parker/Tony Stark/Stephen Strange, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark, Tony Stark/Stephen Strange
Series: One Step A Day [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876828
Comments: 55
Kudos: 401





	1. The Blue Scrubs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello! Welcome to this five part story by me and Jae c: we’re so happy to have you here and we hope you enjoy our story. We definitely had a lot of fun writing, so make sure to let us know what you think!  
> \- Rafni

“Peteee! Petey babyyy,” Tony sang softly as he entered Peter’s room. He smiled at the sight before him, Peter looking all small in his crib with the blankets tangled around his legs. He patted the back of Peter’s leg lightly and soothingly so that he didn’t startle the boy. “C’mon, sweetheart, it’s time to wake up.”

Finally, Peter blearily opened his eyes, looking at Tony with half-closed eyes. “Da,” he mumbled and made grabby hands for Tony. 

Chucking, Tony obeyed, lifting Peter into his arms and patting his bum. “Did you have a good sleep, honey? No scary dreams?” 

Peter let out a small whine and shook his head. “Nuh-uh. Good dreams. Daddy, blankie.” 

Tony raised an eyebrow but grabbed Peter’s soft blanket and handed it to him. It seemed Peter was properly awake now, considering that he was making demands. “What do we say?” he prompted.

Peter draped the blanket over Tony’s back like a cape and made a pleased noise, holding on to it tightly. “Thank you,” he said, though it didn’t seem very heartfelt. 

Still, Tony let it go. It was eight in the morning and he didn’t want to start the day off with a cranky baby. “Let’s get you changed, baby,” he said, sitting Peter down on the changing table. “You want a pull up today?”

Peter stuck his thumb in his mouth, making Tony grimace, and shook his head. “Nooo, Daddy,” he whined. “Big boy clothes.”

Gently tugging his thumb out, Tony gave him an appraising look, and both of his eyebrows shot up when Peter obediently opened his mouth to take the paci, clearing indicating that Peter was feeling extremely little today. “Mm, I dunno, sweetheart. Let’s give pull-ups a try today, yeah?” He pulled one out and showed it to Peter. “Look, baby! It has your favourite on it! Puppies!”

Peter scowled, the paci dropping from his mouth and onto the floor. “No!” he complained, kicking his legs a bit so they swung back and forth. 

Tony hushed him soothingly and popped a new paci into his mouth. “C’mon, Pete,” he coaxed. He managed to get Peter out of his warm pyjamas and changed him into a new pull-up, tossing the other one out. “Are we dealing with a fussy baby today?” he asked gently, slightly amused at the grumpy look on Peter’s face. “Do you wanna help Daddy choose what you should wear?”

Peter brightened at that and nodded. He squirmed around on the table and Tony lifted him into his arms before he could fall, and took him to the wardrobe. “Look, baby,” he said, pointing. “You wanna wear your comfy leggings with the new sweater Daddy got you?”

Peter shook his head. This time, he remembered to take his paci out of his mouth before speaking. “‘ralls,” he demanded. Tony gave him a look, and he hastily added, “Please.”

“There’s a good boy. Okay, honey, we’ll wear your overalls today.” He gently set Peter back down on the table and grabbed the overalls, along with fuzzy socks and a striped sweatshirt. Peter seemed satisfied until he noticed the socks. Before he could protest, Tony spoke first. “You’re wearing these socks, Pete. It’s chilly outside today, I don’t want your little feet to get cold. Not up for discussion.” Peter squirmed a bit when he tried to get them on, but otherwise didn’t complain or cry about it, which Tony took as a win.

“Daddy?”

Tony looked up. “Yes, sweetheart? Arms up.”

Peter obeyed. “Pancakes?”

“You want pancakes for breakfast? Yeah, we can do that.” When Peter was all dressed, Tony took him back into his arms, but obliged when Peter wriggled, making it clear that he wanted to walk. “Hold my hand,” Tony directed. Peter had a tendency to skip or run, and that never ended well. “Do you remember how to go down the stairs, baby?”

Peter nodded eagerly. “Scoot!” he said excitedly. He plopped down onto his bum, grabbed the side railing, and slowly made his way down that way. 

Tony smiled, wanting to take a photo because his baby boy was just so damn adorable. When they were successfully downstairs, Peter clapped his hands, grinning. Tony laughed and ran a hand through his curls. 

“Daddy?”

“Mm.” Tony led Peter to the kitchen and sat him down on his high chair. 

“Chocolate milk?”

Tony hesitated, then shook his head. “No, honey. You’ll be having whipped cream and syrup on your pancakes; I don’t want you to have too much sugar first thing in the morning. You can have a bottle of just milk though.”

Peter pouted, but when Tony gave him the bottle, he brought it up to his mouth. He made a surprised but pleased noise when he realized Tony had warmed the milk and added a bit of vanilla into it. 

“So, Petey,” Tony said as he got out the pancake mix. “Daddy got asked this morning to come in for a meeting.”

“No. Not ‘llowed! ” Peter scowled, setting down his bottle firmly on his table. He crossed his arms and Tony internally sighed, knowing that there was a tantrum soon to come. Peter hated it when Tony had to go in for work. Most of the time, Tony worked from home to make sure he could stay with his baby boy, but occasionally he was required to come in. 

Tony tutted and poured some of the batter onto the pan. “Use your manners, Peter.” 

“No.” Peter banged his fist onto the table, making his bottle wobble dangerously. “Daddy stay!”

Tony turned to face him at that, eyebrow raised. “What did you just say to Daddy, Pete?”

Peter shrunk back a bit at his stern tone, knowing he wasn’t allowed to behave this way. Tony could read the hesitation etched on his baby’s face, but it didn’t last long as Peter mumbled, “No.”

Tony turned, flipped a pancake, and headed over to Peter. He gently ran a hand through Peter’s hair again and said gently, “Daddy doesn’t want to go either, sweetheart. I would much rather stay at home and cuddle with you and watch The Lion King with you.” 

Peter pouted and gave Tony his best puppy eyes, making his heart positively melt. “Please, Daddy?” he asked, bottom lip wobbling a bit. “Stay?”

Tony sighed and kissed Peter’s cheek, letting the boy pull him closer. “How about you have a playdate with Bucky while I’m gone, hm? I think Bucky misses you a lot. Did you know he has a super cool arm now?”

Peter seemed a little less upset at that news, perking up a bit. “Arm?”

Tony nodded and gently patted Peter’s arm. “Yeah, baby. He got into a scary accident but a very nice doctor fixed his arm and now he’s all better!”

“I wanna see!”

Tony smiled and went over to flip the pancakes again. “You can,” he said, relieved that the promise of a playdate made Peter less upset. “Uncle Stevie even said you two can help him bake cookies!”

Peter gasped. “Chocolate chip?” he asked, bouncing in his seat.

“I dunno, baby, you’ll have to go ask him.” Tony set down the plate and began to cut up Peter’s pancakes for him. “Keep your bum on your seat.” He shook the bottle of whipped cream and sprayed an adequate amount onto Peter’s pancakes, ignoring the disappointed look on Peter’s face when he stopped. “You want Daddy to feed you, Pete?”

Peter shook his head. “Big boy!” He clapped his hands. 

Tony laughed. “Okay, okay.” He handed Peter his fork and eyed him warily for a few seconds when the boy clumsily stabbed at a piece repeatedly until he succeeded in spearing it. With a chuckle, he shook his head and fetched himself a plate as well. 

The meal carried on without fuss, much to Tony’s relief. He did have to clean up a few messes, but overall, he felt it was a success. It wasn’t until they arrived at Steve and Bucky’s that Peter’s face visibly fell. 

“Daddy,” Peter said softly, fidgeting and wringing his hands together. “Do you really gotta work?” 

Tony nodded sadly, helping Peter hop down from the car. “Yeah, honey, I’m sorry. I promise I’ll be super quick though, okay? And we can have a nice relaxing night when I come to pick you up.” He was relieved when a clearly excited Bucky pulled Peter into the house, chattering about his new toys that he’d gotten recently. “Thanks, Steve.” And with that, he left, getting back in the car and driving to work. 

The meeting was bland but necessary, and afterwards, he sat at his usual spot, turning on his computer. This was going to be a long day of silence and hard work. He rarely came into the office now; he was able to work from home on his computer, so the few times he actually had to come in, he often found himself feeling lonely and awkward without the sounds of Peter playing and whining for his attention. He was surprised when he heard footsteps near his office, and figured it was someone going to the washroom, when there was a knock on the door. “Come in!” 

Tony was greeted with the sight of a tall man with a very, very handsome face. “Hi,” Tony said, trying not to show his confusion. “Tony.” He outstretched his arm, holding his hand out for the other man to shake.

“Hey, are you the money man?” the man asked, almost a bit urgently, and shook Tony’s hand. He was dressed in scrubs, specifically the dark blue ones, which meant he was a senior doctor at the hospital. It wasn’t often that staff like himself would head up to administration, but this was urgent.

Tony frowned. “Uh, yeah, I am. Have a seat. Want coffee? Tea?” He sat back down, eyeing the dark blue scrubs. He could tell the man was a bit stressed, judging by the way he kept bringing a hand up to his hair, then catching himself and bringing it back down.

“No, I’m good,” the doctor said and waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. He refused to sit and remained standing. “So, I have about three minutes before I should be scrubbed in, so I’d like to know where my check is,” he demanded.

Tony raised an eyebrow. How in the world had his day taken such a turn? He frowned at the man’s tone, not liking it one bit. “You know, you have more of an attitude than my baby boy, and that says a lot,” he drawled. “I always teach him that demands don’t get him anything, but manners do. So why don’t you sit yourself down, introduce yourself to me so I have a name to your face, and explain to me properly what you need from administration, Doctor?”

The man gaped for a few seconds and said nothing. He hadn’t been spoken to like that since his residency, and the memories of being scolded and corrected by senior doctors was like a serious whiplash to him. Sniffling through his nose, the doctor stepped forward and sat in the chair in front of Tony’s desk. “Name’s Doctor Strange. Stephen Strange. I work in neurology and I haven’t received my check for last month,” Stephen explained finally after swallowing his pride.

Tony nodded curtly. “Right,” he said. “Well, Doctor Strange, I can definitely look into that for you.” He turned to his computer and typed, frowning. “Okay, I see the problem. It’s just a small error, I’m sorry about that. You’ll receive your check by tonight. If not, you can come straight back to me and I’ll look into it again for you.” He eyed the man warily, and couldn’t help but add, “Unless, of course, you want someone who can do the job faster for you, in less than three minutes. In that case, I recommend you head to the office across from me.”

After the initial scolding, Stephen felt like he was pushed into a corner by this money man across him with that suggestion. Of course he couldn’t head there, that would just be rude. Tony said he’d fix it, and suddenly Stephen had no reason to be angry anymore. His shoulders slumped a bit as he relaxed. Are his eyes brown or black? Stephen wondered to himself. They look almost black, like melted dark chocolate. “I, uhm... no, that’ll be fine,” Stephen said and looked down a bit, then chuckled softly to himself. “I’m worse than your boy, huh? What age range is he in?”

Tony blinked at the question. He’d figured the man would rush right off after he’d resolved the problem, so he was taken aback a bit. “Oh, he’s pretty young,” he said with a shrug. “He likes to call himself a big boy but he really is between the ages of three to five.” He smiled fondly. “And you? Do you have a little of your own, Doctor Strange?”

“About 20, downstairs.” Stephen chuckled and gestured to the floor. He meant the patients he is responsible for on the surgical floor below. “I specialize in Littles, but uhm—no, I don’t have a Little of my own. What’s his name?”

Tony let out a small huff of laughter. “Peter,” he replied. “He’s a sweetheart, absolute softie. He was pretty grumpy today though, especially since I had to drop him off at a friend’s to come to work. It’s moments like this where I wish I had a partner to help me.” Then, he blinked, surprising himself with how easily he was able to open up to Stephen, a man he’d just met. “Uh, yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Too bad you don’t have a little, though. Could’ve been nice for Petey to meet someone new.”

“I, uh—” Before Stephen could answer more, his pager started beeping. He reached down on reflex to shut it off, then read the message. Damn, he was five minutes late already. “I’m late— to surgery,” the doctor said a bit dumbly. He can’t take his eyes off of Tony. Just how deep are his brown eyes?

Tony smirked. “Well, go on then, Doctor,” he said. “Don’t wanna be any more late, do you?” He stepped forward and opened the door for him, shrugging almost sheepishly. “I’ll catch you later.” Maybe.

Stephen wanted to say something snarky, he wanted to so badly, but suddenly he found no words in his mouth. The most he could muster was a nod as he headed past the man and out the door. But then, he spun on his heel to meet Tony’s dark and warm eyes again. “Uh—tell Peter I said hi.” And then he left, cursing at himself. What just happened?

Tony stared after him, mouth slightly open. Then, he shut the door quietly. “Tell Peter I said hi,” he repeated to himself dumbly. Well then. He sat down, feeling rather bewildered with all that had just happened. God, he couldn’t wait to go home.

After work, Tony didn’t head straight home. He had to pick up Peter first, so he headed up to where Steve lived on a hill with Bucky. The man was an old friend of Tony’s and he just so happened to have a Little boy too, although in a slightly older age range than Peter’s. The boys got along great nonetheless, and so Steve’s place was always Tony’s first choice when he needed someone to babysit Peter. But lately, Bucky had been having some trouble with his new prosthetic arm, so Peter hadn’t been over in a while. He hoped the boy had had fun while he was at work.

When there was a knock at the door, Peter squealed and jumped to his feet, scrambling off the couch, ignoring the disgruntled noise Bucky made when he accidentally kicked him. “Uncle Stevie!” he cried, running to the door. “Daddy’s here! Daddyyyyy, is that youuu?” He pressed his ear against the door.

At Peter’s excited cries, Steve got up from where he was sitting and went to open the locked door. Of course, the Littles weren’t allowed to open doors by themselves, even if it was Daddy. 

“Hey, man,” Steve greeted Tony, but didn’t have more time to speak before Peter flung himself at Tony. 

The dark haired Daddy chuckled fondly and stooped down a bit to grab the boy and lift him up. “Hi, baby! Did you have fun?”

“Uh-huh!” Peter nodded vigorously and wrapped his arms around Tony’s neck. “I missed you, Daddy,” he whined. “Is it home time now? Wanna goooo.” He did a little kick for emphasis.

“Yes, yes, we’re going. But, I need to say hi to Buck first,” Tony said and stepped inside while Steve closed the door behind him. “So, how’s he been?” Tony asked, meaning Bucky and his arm.

“A bit rough, you know. Sometimes he doesn’t want to wear it at all. Just like now—hey, bud.” Steve smiled fondly and crouched down to meet Bucky who padded over to him. The boy was indeed missing an arm, but no one was alarmed at the sight. They were all used to it.

Peter pouted at the news that they weren’t heading home right away, but just held on firmly to his Daddy. He frowned when he noticed that Tony’s attention was on Bucky, not him. That just wouldn’t do. “Daddy, hungry,” he said softly, patting Tony.

“Yes, buddy, we’ll go soon,” Tony soothed and bounced Peter in one arm before crouching down to see Bucky better. “Hey, I heard you got a new arm.” 

“Yeah, but it pinched. Right here,” Bucky reported and pointed to a patch of red and irritated skin on his armpit. 

Steve came forward to place one hand on his boy’s neck to provide comfort. “You’ll get used to it soon enough. In the meantime, we’ll put on the cream that the doctor recommended,” Steve said to Tony now.

Now, Peter was pouting, feeling extra grumpy and disappointed now. Hadn’t Daddy missed him while he was gone? Why was he only talking about Bucky’s arm? He scowled down at Bucky, who was now the target of his bad mood. “Is dumb,” he muttered under his breath.

“Hey, what was that?” Tony asked when he thought he heard Peter say ’dumb’ as a comment about Bucky’s new arm. No way was he going to tolerate such rude behaviour. “I’m sorry, man. I think we should be on our way. I’ll call you later?” Tony said apologetically and waved to Bucky with one hand before heading to the door. Then, he brought his boy to the car and put him in his seat before looking him right in the eye. “Now, what was that, mister? Hm?”

Peter stared at the floor of the car, suddenly finding it very interesting. He’d just wanted to go home and cuddle with his Daddy, and now he was in trouble, and it was all Bucky’s fault! He heard Tony clear his throat in warning, so he shrugged. “Dunno,” he said, tracing the pattern of his overalls. “Daddy, hungry.”

“Yes, I know, but that is no excuse to be rude like that, okay? Steve and Bucky are our friends. And that’s no way to treat friends,” Tony explained and lifted a hand to stroke at the boy’s cheeks. Perhaps that way it would be easier to accept the scolding.

Peter suddenly felt tears welling up in his eyes and he sniffled, raising an arm to swipe it across his face. Now that he had his Daddy’s attention, he felt terrible for calling Bucky’s arm dumb. And it wasn’t dumb either. In fact, Peter thought it was pretty cool to have a metal arm! Swallowing hard, he looked up at Tony sadly. “‘m sorry, Da,” he whispered, voice cracking a bit.

“Oh, baby...” Tony didn’t think it would be that hard, but Peter was clearly upset now. Quickly unbuckling the boy and lifting him up again, Tony hugged him close and shushed him. “Oh, bud, it’s okay. No need for the tears.”

Peter clung to Tony tightly and buried his face in his shoulder. He sniffled. He was tired and he just wanted to be sitting on the couch with Daddy watching The Lion King and this wasn’t fair. “Home?” he croaked. Sniffling once more, he turned to peer into the car. “Thirsty,” he whined.

“Okay, okay,” Tony said and kissed the boy’s temple before getting him back into his car seat. Perhaps they should have just gone home. “What do you want for dinner? Maybe we can pick up some McDonald’s on the way?” Oh, God, why did he say that? He really did feel guilty for what he’d said if he was offering McDonalds.

Peter played with a loose thread on his shirt, still feeling a bit ick for being so mean to Bucky, but perked up when he heard Tony mention McDonald’s. “Happy meal?” he asked brightly, kicking the seat in front of him from excitement. “I want a pretty toy, Daddy!”

“Yeah! Let’s get you a happy, happy Happy meal.” Tony chuckled as he got into the driver’s seat. Just ten minutes later, they had gotten their food and Tony handed the paper bag to Peter. “Remember to eat the apple slices too, baby,” Tony reminded, but doubted Peter had heard him with how excited he was while digging his toy out.

Peter gasped with delight when he pulled out a figurine of a white puppy with a pink collar. “Daddy, look! Look!” He waved it around and shoved a fry into his mouth with his other hand. As he chewed, he asked with a pout, “Daddy, where’s your toy?” He wished he and his Daddy could have matching toys.

“Oh, I didn’t get one. The toys are only for lucky boys and girls like you.” Tony smiled before digging into his own cheeseburger. He also got fries though, like Peter. “You know— today hasn’t been the best day. Has it?” Tony asked after swallowing his mouthful. He was referring to the arguments in the morning and then whatever that happened when he picked up Peter at Steve’s place.

Peter hummed as he shoved five fries into his mouth at once. “Was bleh,” he told Tony, chewing thoughtfully, then took a quick glance at Tony when he realized he’d talked with his mouth full. He swallowed, then said,” “But now home time!” and clapped his hands excitedly. “Play when we get home, Daddy?”

“Yeah, we’ll head home once I’ve eaten.” Tony promised and showed his own burger to the boy as emphasis. “You know, Daddy worked hard today.” The man added with a groan, not to actually make Peter feel sorry for him, but to be a bit dramatic. Nothing wrong with that, right? “I met this guy who had a tantrum in my office. He was even worse than you,” Tony said and gave Peter a cheeky look through the rearview mirror, but he was only teasing.

“Gonna give Daddy a massage at home!” Peter squealed excitedly. He remembered the time he’d been able to help Daddy’s back by sitting on it in bed, and that had been super duper fun! He gasped when Tony mentioned the tantrum, and dramatically clapped his hands against his mouth. “You gave him corner time?”

“Ha! I should have! You should have seen how rude he was.” Tony gasped dramatically and chuckled when Peter copied his scandalised face. “But, then I gave him the Daddy voice—” Tony said and held up a finger for emphasis. “—and then he fell in line and behaved himself. He even told me to say hi to you,” the man added and felt his heart swell a bit as he remembered that part. Were his eyes blue or green?

Peter gasped. “Da, that’s crazy!” He squirmed around in his seat, feeling restless at the story. “Can I say hi to him back? We could— you can do the thing you do with Uncle Stevie sometimes! With your phone!” He made a frustrated noise, trying to remember what it was called. Sometimes when he and Bucky couldn’t see each other for a long, long time, they had talked through the phone and had been able to see each other’s faces. It wasn’t the same as actually playing together in real life, but Peter still enjoyed it nonetheless. Maybe Daddy could do that with the bratty man! He pulled out the bag of apple slices and made a face.

“I don’t know about that, baby...” Tony said with a slight frown. “He’s a doctor at the hospital, so he’s super busy. Besides, you aren’t a huge fan of them, right?” He added, referring to Peter’s dislike, and maybe even fear, of doctors. Apparently, he had had some poor experiences with them before Tony got around to adopting him.

Peter froze at that. “Don’t wanna meet him,” he decided. If the man was rude and a doctor, he had no intention of ever interacting with him. “Daddy, thirsty,” he whined, wanting to move on from the mean doctor, making grabby hands at his drink.

“Yeah, that’s all right,” Tony allowed and took Peter’s sugar-free soda from the cupholder next to him before handing it over. “How was your meal? Was it happy?” he asked and watched through the mirror as the boy bit onto his straw.

Peter sucked his drink through the straw and swallowed, then pulled back and declared, “Yeah! Happy!” before he went back to his straw. Taking a quick glance at Tony, he blew into the straw, causing the drink to bubble, much to his delight. He giggled and held the drink out. “Da!” he demanded, wanting Tony to do the same thing.

“Hey, don’t spill it all over, mister!” Tony warned around a mouthful of his burger. There was a lid on the drink, but if Peter blew a bit harder, it probably wouldn’t hold. And Tony had gotten the car cleaned just last week. 

After a few more quiet and comfortable moments of eating, Tony ate the last of his burger and balled up the wrapping while humming in content. He could snack on his fries while driving, so he started the car, much to Peter’s delight. 

“Now, let’s go home and play? Also, I’m holding you to that promised massage,” Tony added with a knowing look through the mirror, making the boy giggle before grabbing another fry.

When they finally pulled up in their driveway, Peter was dozing in his seat. He heard the car shut off and he blinked awake, hearing Tony chuckle. Peter eagerly let Tony carry him into the house, enjoying the way his Daddy hummed quietly under his breath as they entered. “Down,” Peter said, wriggling a bit. “Please.” He wanted time to get into comfier clothes now that they were home.

“Okay, little guy, just a sec,” Tony said and set Peter down after putting the house keys on the little shelf in the entry hall. Then, he went about getting off the boy’s outdoor shoes and jacket. Hand in hand, Tony led Peter into the house. He paused a bit to see where the boy wanted to go, and when Peter chose to head upstairs, Tony followed.

Peter clumsily climbed up the stairs, and then dragged Tony to his room. He pointed to his drawers and pouted. His overalls were pretty, but something softer sounded much more appealing now. “Daddyyy,” he whined, and let his thumb slip into his mouth.

“You wanna get changed?” Tony guessed and smiled fondly when Peter nodded with a bit of a whine, then went to lay down on his bed. “Okay, let’s find you something comfy.” The man muttered to himself and went to find Peter a comfy hoodie and sweatpants. He chose a bear hoodie, with ears on the hood, and sweatpants with big hearts on the knees.

Peter grinned when he saw the hoodie and made grabby hands for it, just like he'd done earlier, making Tony laugh. “Is comfy!” he claimed. In less than two minutes, he was changed, dressed in much more comfier clothes. Then, a paci on the table caught his attention and he pointed to it, looking at Tony silently.

“Yeah, go get it, baby.” Tony allowed while he put away Peter’s previous outfit. He knew he had cleaned the paci just recently, so there was no reason for Peter not to have it. Tony watched with a coo as Peter toddled over to grab the paci, then situated it into his mouth before returning to his Daddy. Tony welcomed him in with his arms wide. “Ooh, is that better? You comfy now? Tummy’s all full too. You must be sleepy.”

"Hmm!" Peter nodded, sucking on his paci rhythmically. He let himself fall into his Daddy's warm embrace, and snuggled close. Peter didn't move as Tony carried him to the bed, content to lie there in his arms and never leave. "Daddy, stay," he managed to say around his paci, almost dropping it mid-word.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll stay, but you need a little lay down. You’ve had a long day, mister.” Tony said and set Peter down on the bed, but then sat down himself so that he was facing the boy where he lay on top of his covers.

Peter huffed a bit at that. If he had a long day, Daddy had had an even longer one! But he was too tired to properly argue that and told himself he would tell Tony when he was more awake. He snuggled in bed, reaching out to hold Tony's hand, hearing his Daddy coo at the action. He was asleep within a few minutes, all tired out from the day.

After sitting with Peter for a few more minutes, Tony got up to fetch a blanket from Peter’s closet. He draped it over the boy and then kissed his forehead sweetly, but he didn’t straighten up right away. Somehow, while stroking the boy’s curls back from his forehead, Tony’s mind wandered to the rude doctor from earlier. He wondered if he was as easy to put down for a nap as Peter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! The next chapter will be up on Friday.


	2. The Yellow Smoothie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Tony head to the hospital together.

“Daddyyy!” Peter called, frowning down at the clothes laid out on his bed. “Help!” He drummed his fingers on his knees as he waited for Tony to come to his room, eager to get out of the house. He had been upset earlier today when he found out Tony needed to go to work, but it had quickly changed to delight when it was decided that he could go in with Tony. This was something new and it was going to be a fun adventure! “Daddy!” he called again, growing more impatient.

“Coming!” Tony called back and turned the stove off quickly once the eggs were fried enough before heading up. While he made breakfast, Tony had sent Peter up to his room to get dressed in the clothes he had laid out for him. But, it seemed Tony had hoped too much in thinking Peter could dress by himself.

Peter pouted when Tony entered and pointed sadly at the clothes. “Help,” he said. “Did socks though, Daddy!” He gestured proudly to his sock-clad feet, though they had somehow ended up mismatched.

“Yeah, that’s great, Pete. Okay, pants first.” Tony said and went to grab the soft jeans with paw prints on the back pockets. While holding the jeans, Peter stepped into them and let Tony lift them up and secure the stretchy waistband that usually came with Little clothes. Next, he helped the boy into his long-sleeved t-shirt with a drawing of a skull on the back.

Peter grinned when he was all dressed, and clapped his hands excitedly. "Work time, work time!" he squealed. "We gonna go now, Daddy?" Then, his stomach growled a bit in protest at that, and Peter frowned, looking down at it. He patted his tummy and said, "Shhh!"

Tony snorted at that and leaned over to kiss the boy’s cheek. God, he could be so adorable. “Let’s fill your tummy with yummy food first. I made eggs and toast for you,” the man said and then took Peter’s hand to lead him down to the kitchen. If they were lucky, the eggs hadn’t turned cold yet. Setting the boy up in his seat, Tony went about plating the food for himself and Peter.

Peter ate the meal without a fuss and even happily munched on his oranges afterwards. "Da, what're we gonna do at work?" he asked. "I work too?"

“Me? I’m not gonna be long, just need to check some papers and deliver a few things. I mean, if you want to draw something that I can put in my office, that would be great.” Tony said, and smiled at how delighted Peter seemed with that idea. “We should pack some crayons and paper for you,” he mused as he took another bite of toast.

"Yeah!" Peter agreed eagerly. "The pretty ones, Daddy!" He was referring to the pastel set Tony had bought him a few weeks ago. They were by far his favourite. "Gonna— gonna hang it up in Daddy’s office!" He watched impatiently as Tony ate slowly. He had already inhaled his breakfast so now it was only Tony who had to finish, much to Peter's dissatisfaction.

“Yeah! Do you wanna check out the playground behind the hospital too? Or perhaps the cafeteria for a snack?” Tony asked, thinking they could make this to a fun day. It wasn’t often that he had the opportunity to take Peter to work, so it was a special occasion whenever it was possible to bring him. And perhaps Tony wanted to show off Peter. But, how could you blame him? After all, he did have the best and sweetest baby boy.

Peter nodded excitedly. "Yeah!" he squealed. "Snack!" He remembered the last time he got to go to work with Tony, Daddy had gotten him a lot of yummy snacks, like chocolate cake, from the cafeteria! "Daddyyy, hurrryyy."

“Peter,” Tony warned with a look. It was a rule in the household that one doesn’t rush during mealtimes. Besides, Tony wanted to enjoy his coffee before heading out. “You’re excused from the table if you’ve emptied your cup,” the man said. Obviously, Peter’s plate was empty, but his cup probably wasn’t.

Peter pouted and looked down at his cup. It was still full; he had barely drank anything. Sulking, he brought it up to his mouth and drank quickly, wanting to finish fast so he could go find his crayons. He ended up choking though, spluttering and coughing, and looked up pitifully at Tony.

“Woah, woah.” Tony yelped a bit and quickly grabbed a paper towel to wipe Peter’s chin and mouth. “Take it easy, buddy,” he added and patted Peter’s back as he coughed.

Peter sniffled. "Don't want anymore, Daddy," he pouted, holding the cup towards Tony almost pleadingly. "Wanna go to work! Not thirsty, promise."

“Okay, okay. You’ve had enough juice.” Tony allowed and balled up the paper towel before helping Peter down from his seat. Then, he gave the boy an encouraging pat on his padded butt. “Go find your crayons and your backpack in the meantime. You can pack some other toys and a stuffie too.”

“Okay!” Peter ran off immediately, eager to fetch his things. It was a little tricky finding everything and he hated only choosing one stuffie out of the hundreds he had, but eventually he was ready, a little stuffed fox held close to his chest. “Daddy?” he called. “‘m ready!”

Tony still had some of his coffee left to enjoy, but it was evident that Peter wasn’t going to let him have a moment's peace. So, he got up and put away the dishes while the boy watched him impatiently. “Okay, okay, let’s go brush our teeth and get ready.”

Peter groaned at that, but thankfully, brushing their teeth didn’t take too long, and soon, they were in the car. Peter hummed along to the Disney songs Tony played in the car and looked out the window as they drove. “Is it far, Daddy?” he asked, nibbling a bit on his thumb.

“A bit far, yeah. You’ve been there before, remember? You also had that x-ray there one time.” Tony recalled. The visit was due to Peter’s hurt foot and just as a precaution, but luckily the boy felt fine after a few days of resting his foot. At the time, Tony had counted his lucky stars for that because it meant Peter didn’t have to deal with more doctors and nurses.

“Oh.” Peter made a face at the memory. Then, he realized something, eyes going wide. What if he was going for another check up? Or yucky doctor stuff? He glanced up at Tony, who smiled, and met his eyes in the rear view mirror. “Daddy?” he said nervously. “‘m not sick.”

“What? Oh, that’s good,” Tony replied at first, not quite understanding why Peter would say such a thing. But, on second thought, he realised how it might not have been the best idea to bring up that hospital trip two years ago. “Yeah, I know you’re not. I’m sorry I brought up all that. You’re not sick, Petey, and you’re not going to see any doctor or anything. It’s just the two of us in my office, okay?”

Peter bit his lip and nodded. “M’kay!” He was relieved that this wasn’t just a trick, and was content to relax in the car once more. He looked out the window, watching as they passed by several tall buildings. Turning back towards, he nudged Tony’s seat insistently with his feet. “Daddy, I want soda when we get there!”

“No, Petey, you can have a juice or smoothie. Soda’s are only for special occasions. If you have too much of it, your teeth will rot.” Tony shook his head and bared his own teeth. “We want pearly whites, right?” He asked as they finally reached the hospital and Tony pulled up onto a free space for staff.

Peter pouted, but nodded. “Pretty white teeth,” he mumbled to himself. He squirmed as he waited for Tony to come help him out of the car, and he grabbed his backpack and stuffie. “Da, is big,” Peter whispered, staring at the huge building in front of them. He knew he’d been there before, but not in a while. He’d forgotten how tall it stood.

“Yeah, so hold onto my hand at all times, okay? No running off,” Tony said and gave Peter’s hand a squeeze in his grip for emphasis. When the boy nodded up at him, they headed to the main entrance and went to the elevator to head up to administration. Pausing a bit in the elevator, Tony looked down to check on Peter. “Want me to carry you, bud?”

Peter bit his lip, then nodded shyly. “Hmm!” He raised his arms, desperate to be held by Tony and be offered the comfort he needed. He did a little pleased wriggle when Tony picked him up with a chuckle, and wrapped his arms around his neck. “We goin’ on an adventure,” he whispered into Tony’s ear as the elevator doors opened.

“Yes, we are.” Tony smiled and bounced Peter lightly in his arms while stepping out of the elevator. “I’m gonna work for an hour or so, and then we can get a drink and snack if you’re hungry and check out the playground in the back,” he recapped while swiping his ID card to get through the doors to administration. There were no doctors or nurses up here, only people in normal work clothes, and Tony thought he could feel Peter relaxing in his hold.

Peter was definitely relieved that he didn't see any scary looking doctors with their boring doctor outfits. Feeling happy with how the day was going so far, he reached up and patted Tony's cheek in an effort to communicate his satisfaction. Tony chuckled and Peter grinned back. "Gonna colour," he told his Daddy very seriously. "For Daddy."

“What are you gonna colour for me?” Tony asked, making sure to add that it was for him like Peter said while walking to his office. He wanted people to know just how sweet his boy was. “Or is it gonna be a secret?” he inquired, finally reaching his office door and unlocking it before setting Peter down on the floor.

Peter hummed thoughtfully. He held onto Tony's shirt for a second, but let go once he realized that they had safely arrived in the office. "Is a surprise!" he told Tony with a grin. In reality, he wasn't too sure of what he was going to colour yet since it needed to be perfect for his Daddy, but he wasn't going to tell Tony that. "Can't look when I colour, okay, Daddy?" He looked around, trying to find a place to sit and start his masterpiece.

“Gotcha, mister.” Tony chuckled and helped Peter get set up on one of the two comfy chairs in the corner with a coffee table in between. Grabbing the backpack, Tony laid out Peter’s supplies, and then stepped back as the boy shooed him away to do his secret project. Tony obeyed gladly, and headed to his own work station by his desk and started working.

Peter stuck his tongue out in concentration as he drew. He grabbed his pastel purple crayon first, and began to draw the outline of a big bear. Then, he coloured it in with a pretty pink before doing the same with a smaller bear. He hummed and kicked his feet a bit as he drew, content with how the day was going so far. He made sure to add some flowers too, to make it extra pretty, since it was a present. When he finished, he frowned down at the paper, wanting to write his name. "Da!" he whined. "Help! But no looking!"

Tony was pleasantly surprised to see Peter so calm and quiet while he worked. Sometimes, the boy had a tendency to want his attention constantly when they were in the same room, but Peter seemed content with his project. So, Tony got all his work done, and a bit more, before Peter’s call pulled him out of his work bubble. “Hmm? What is it, bud?” Tony asked and gestured for Peter to come over.

Peter padded over, holding the paper close so that Tony wouldn’t be able to see. whined and pointed with a blue crayon at the corner of the page. “Gotta sign it.” Then, pouting, he repeated, “Don’t look!”

“Okay, uhm— how do I sign it without looking?” Tony asked honestly, trying not to laugh at the boy’s nearly impossible request.

“Close your eyes.” Peter stared up at him stubbornly. “Then you hold my hand and help me sign.” He could see his Daddy’s lips twitching upwards into a smile, and that was absolutely unacceptable.

“Oh, okay. So, we are signing your name?” Tony asked for confirmation, then let Peter grab onto his hand. Once in position, Tony closed his eyes and started writing as best as he could. P, E, T, E and R.

Peter watched in fascination as Tony signed for him, and quickly pulled the paper back once it was finished. He smiled sweetly up at Tony. “Thank you, Daddy!” He looked at it again in satisfaction. “Is finished.”

“Is it? Can I see it now?” Tony asked and kept his eyes closed still, but blinked them open when Peter gave him permission. The man studied the drawing in front of him, and immediately pieced the things together. It was him and Peter as bears. Looking on the bottom left, Tony tried not to laugh openly at just how poorly he and Peter had written together. “Aww, this is amazing, baby! Absolutely worth putting up on my wall.” Tony gushed and pulled Peter onto his lap.

Peter squealed with delight and leaned up to give Tony a kiss on his cheek. “Snack now,” he whispered, feeling shy.

“Yes, yes, I just gotta hang this up first.” Tony smiled widely and stood up with Peter in his arms to give him a hug, then set him down again to pick up the drawing. From his desk supplies, he grabbed a pin and then headed around his desk to pin it to his cork board. Just then, there was a knock at the door and a certain doctor entered.

Peter craned his neck around to see who had just entered, and let out a squeak of fright when he saw a tall man dressed in one of the scary doctor clothes. He started squirming around in Tony’s arms. “Daddy! Not sick! Promise!” he begged.

Stephen raised his eyebrows in surprise. That must be the Peter that Tony had talked about last time they met. But, he didn’t seem the least bit happy. Stephen wondered if he should just turn around and head back the way he came. This was a stupid idea anyway— 

“Hey! Doc—I—” Tony stammered a bit, but had to quickly turn his attention back to Peter who was rapidly growing more and more upset.

“Promise ‘m not sick!” Peter insisted tearfully. “D-Don’t want check up!” He wriggled around in Tony’s arms, feeling panicky. He heard Tony making gentle shushing noises and eventually he gave up and wrapped his arms and legs tightly around Tony and buried his face in his shoulder. “Is gonna hurt?”

“No, no, I told you. You’re not sick, and you’re not gonna see the doctor or anything. We’re just here so I can work, promise.” Tony explained soothingly and bounced Peter in his arms, glancing up at Stephen to give him an apologetic look. 

“I assume that’s Peter.” Stephen said finally, after not saying anything since he looked so stunned. But, he was also immobilised by just how hot Tony looked holding a little boy.

Peter peeked up at the sound of his name, eyeing the man curiously, albeit a bit suspicious. “Daddy,” he whispered. “Who’s that?” 

Tony smiled. “A friend,” he said briefly so Peter wouldn’t freak out again. “You wanna say hi to Daddy’s friend?” He flashed Stephen a glance, who gave a small shrug.

Friend? Or, wait—was that sarcastic? Stephen’s mind was running at a hundred miles an hour as he tried to analyse the situation. He was never like this with other people. What was with this money man? “Hey, Peter. I’m Stephen. Did you come along with Daddy to work today? Lucky you.” Stephen smiled and gave the boy a wave.

Peter bit his lip at that and looked up hesitantly at Tony. Tony gently patted his back and said, “Go on, baby. Manners, remember?” 

With a small pout, Peter craned his head to look at Stephen. Sticking a thumb into his mouth, he said shyly, “Hi. Daddy brought me to work so we could play.” He looked back at Tony curiously. “Is he here to play with us, Daddy?”

“No, baby.” Tony chuckled at first, but then realised how rude that sounded. He looked up at Stephen and titled his head in curiosity. “I mean— did you need something?” 

“Oh! I—I just—wanted to apologise for— well, what happened a few days ago. That was rude of me, and yeah—I wanted to make it up to you by buying you a coffee, if you have time?” Stephen stuttered out, a blush colouring his high cheekbones. Tony hadn’t noticed till now how sharp they were.

Peter listened, then turned to Tony, smiling up at him sweetly. “Daddy, snack,” he insisted. “With him too.” He pointed at Stephen, a stubborn look on his face. He watched as Tony looked at Stephen, then hesitated. Growing frustrated, he patted Tony’s arm insistently and repeated, “Snack.”

“Yeah, this guy is up for it, so I’m with him,” Tony chuckled and bounced Peter in his arms while looking at Stephen. The doctor smiled widely, and then composed himself a bit and cleared his throat. After hanging up Peter’s drawing, Tony grabbed his keys and phone and then went with Stephen out of his office and to the elevator.

Peter hummed, content, as Tony carried him. He tensed a little in the elevator, still a bit nervous about Stephen, but that was mostly because he was wearing mean doctor clothes. “Daddy, chocolate milk?” he asked, eyeing Stephen, when he couldn’t take the silence anymore.

“No, I told you already. It’s juice or a smoothie,” Tony reminded kindly, but with just enough edge to establish that this was not up for discussion. And particularly not with a third party, and potential friend, involved.

Stephen could tell Peter was not pleased, so he tried to chime in to try and distract the boy. “So, Peter. Do you go to daycare or…?” he asked with a smile.

Peter pouted at his Daddy’s answer but accepted it, knowing better than to further argue—especially not in front of someone he’d just met. Still, he couldn’t help sulking a little bit. 

“Sweetheart, Stephen asked you a question,” Tony murmured. “Can you use your manners and answer him please?” 

Peter whined, still feeling rather displeased with his Daddy, but shook his head and said, “Nuh-uh. I stay with Daddy. Or I go to Uncle Stevie’s house! And—and play with Bucky!” He squirmed excitedly; Bucky was always fun to play with. Well, most of the time.

“Oh, that sounds fun! What do you and Bucky do together?” Stephen asked further, easily catching onto the name Peter had dropped. After caring for Littles so long, he had become quite good at remembering details that he could later use to keep Littles calm and content.

Peter bit his lip, thinking hard. “Play,” he told Stephen very seriously. “Bucky has super cool lego! So sometimes we build castles! Or—” he kicked his legs excitedly, missing the way Tony winced at that. “—we play superheroes! And we get to fight each other ‘n stuff, kick ‘n punch!” He mimicked the motions as he spoke, giggling. “Is fun.”

“Woah? Really? That sounds like a lot of fun,” Stephen gasped, making Peter look very pleased for having such exciting stories to tell. “Do you have a favourite show you two watch together?” the doctor continued. While Stephen and Peter spoke, Tony mentally took a step back from the conversation. He could hardly believe that Peter found it so easy to speak to a doctor. Considering his past, Tony would have thought it would be harder for Peter to be won over like that, but this doctor seemed to have a few tricks up his sleeve. Or perhaps he just put Peter at ease.

Peter grinned and nodded. “Uh-huh! Paw Patrol!” They stepped off the elevator, Peter still talking eagerly to Stephen, taking the time to explain why it was his favourite show. 

Tony smiled as he listened to Peter’s reasons and was amused by Stephen’s little nods and noises that he made as he listened seriously. “Hey, buddy,” he interrupted Peter gently as they headed for the cafeteria, rubbing his back. “Which is it gonna be? Smoothie or juice?” 

“Daddy, is rude to interrupt,” Peter reprimanded, brows furrowed.

“You want me to choose for you then?” Tony asked, but Peter didn’t seem happy with that either. “Okay, okay, you choose.” The man chuckled and gave the doctor next to him a look. Stephen gave a knowing look and chuckled. 

“Yeah, they are like that. So, what are you having?” Stephen asked as they reached the cafeteria and went to stand in line. “Oh, and it’s on me. And Peter’s drink too.”

Tony frowned. “No, no, it’s okay!” he tried. When Stephen gave him a look, he gave in. “Alright, fine. But, next time it’s on me.” Next time?

“I want smoothie,” Peter finally decided. “Had juice in the morning already.” He patted Tony’s cheeks with his hands. “Strawberry banana, Daddy?” he asked. 

Tony chuckled. “Yeah, sweetheart. Say thank you to Daddy’s friend.” 

Peter turned and obediently chirped, “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome, little man,” Stephen replied with a smile. God, could his heart stop beating so fast? 

After getting their drinks, Tony suggested that they head to the playground in the back, since he had promised Peter they would go. The doctor made no attempt to stop him and instead led the way to the back.

“So, once you’ve had your smoothie, you can go play, all right?” Tony said, making a deal for them before Peter got too overly excited with the new playground.

Peter nodded, drinking happily from his smoothie. He tuned out Tony and Stephen talking as he drank, before a thought hit him. Even though he looked like a doctor, he definitely wasn’t a mean one—at least, not yet. Maybe he liked the same toys that Bucky did. “Daddy’s friend come play with me too?” he asked, looking up at Tony.

Tony shot Stephen an amused look, then said, “I dunno, baby, you’re gonna have to ask him yourself.” 

Peter faced Stephen and asked sweetly, “Come play? I got lots ‘n lots of toys at home!”

Oh, God, what was he gonna say? He couldn’t possibly deny the boy, that would shatter his heart, surely. But, could he just invite himself to the money man’s home like that? Looking at Tony and the playful look on his face, Stephen thought that perhaps that was what he wanted.

“Yes, I’d love that,” he said, and both he and Tony winced in unison at how Peter shrieked in delight.

Peter squirmed around, clearly excited. “Daddy, we gotta go home right now!” he demanded. “Gotta— gotta show all my toys ‘n stuff and watch Paw Patrol—” 

“Whoa, baby.” Tony patted his knee gently, trying to calm him down. “We’re still at work, remember? Maybe another day, soon, Stephen can come over, okay?” When Peter pouted, looking like he was close to angry tears, he hastily added, “Are you done your smoothie, sweetheart? Don’t you wanna go play?” 

At that, Peter brightened, took a long sip from his smoothie, finishing it, before dashing off. For a quiet moment, Stephen and Tony just watched Peter run in the direction of the playground and immediately grab a hold of the climbing pyramid to the left. 

Stephen sipped his coffee while thinking of something to say, as well as try to calm his heart while being hyper aware of Tony next to him. “He’s quite amazing.”

Tony nodded, a fond smile on his face. "Yeah," he chuckled. He took a sip from his own drink, then commented, "So, everything with work going okay, Doctor?" He said the title lightheartedly. "Thanks again for the drink."

“Don’t mention it,” Stephen replied with a chuckle and raised his cup. “And yeah, I had some time to spare so, I— yeah, wanted to apologise for how I acted a few days ago. Your call-out was surprisingly refreshing,” the doctor mused in slight embarrassment and drank from his coffee.

Tony chuckled. "It's all good," he said honestly. "I'm glad it was refreshing for you, though. I guess having a little boy really does help me fine tune my lecturing skills." He laughed. "Perks of having a Little, huh? Anyways, Peter really seems to have taken a liking to you. That's great and honestly surprising. He's a sweet boy, but he gets shy often. Especially around doctors."

“Yeah, I noticed how he freaked when I came. Something about not being sick or something?” Stephen recalled as he thought of Peter’s reaction when he came into his office. “Is it a phobia or…?” 

Tony grimaced and nodded. "Yeah. He didn't get the medical care he was supposed to before I got him. Appendicitis, you know? The doctors apparently didn't take him seriously at first until it got really, really bad." He sighed and watched Peter playing in the corner of his eye. "It's why he's so scared of anything that has to do with doctors and medical treatment. So, you can imagine how fun the annual check ups are." Tony gave a small laugh ruefully. Check ups always ended up with a sobbing Peter clinging to Tony.

“Jesus, I’m so sorry. So, would you say he is traumatised for that? Has he been diagnosed? Or perhaps that would be hard considering his fear.” Stephen grimaced and looked at Peter as he came down the slide from the jungle gym. Based on how carefree and happy the boy was on the playground, Stephen would never have guessed he was so traumatised.

"I mean, we've never gotten a real diagnosis yet." Tony winced. They probably really should. "It's a little difficult because of his fear. Anyone who looks a little bit like a doctor, he'll freak out. You could be holding a clipboard and he'll be terrified. But, hopefully there'll be someone who can help us with that one day." Tony sipped his coffee, enjoying how the hot drink felt as he swallowed. "Do you have a lot of experience dealing with traumatized Littles?"

“I mean, sometimes. Sometimes I’m lucky enough and it stays something about their traumas and such in their file, but other times I’m not so lucky. One time, I had a CG tell me their Little was seriously afraid of doctors when she was already panicking. That consultation took half an hour.” Stephen groaned as he remembered.

Tony winced, feeling Stephen's pain. "Oh, God. I'm sure you're great at what you do, though. Like I said, Peter already loves you, and I've almost never seen that happen." Tony watched as Peter ran over to them, out of breath. "What's up, buddy?"

"Water," Peter demanded, cheeks a little red from the energy he'd spent running around and playing.

“We don’t have water, bud, but you can have some of your smoothie.” While Peter had been playing, the ice in the smoothie had melted and made it more liquidy. It would do for now until they got back to his office where Peter’s water bottle lay in his backpack. 

“Are you having fun?” Stephen decided to ask Peter.

Peter took the drink obediently and nodded at Stephen's question. "Lots and lots," he informed him. "Would be more fun if I had someone playing with me though." He pouted manipulatively, looking at Tony.

“I still got my coffee, bud. We both do,” Tony said apologetically and gestured to his and Stephen’s cups. “But, we’ll head home soon, then we can play.” 

Suddenly, a beeping sound came from Stephen, and he reached down to his waist to grab his pager. Reading the message quickly, he grimaced and stood up. 

“Shit, uhm— I’m sorry, but I have to go now. Emergency and all,” the doctor said with a slight frown.

Tony waved him off. "It's okay," he said with a smile. "Duty calls."

Peter, on the other hand, was not as willing to let Stephen go. His jaw dropped open and he whined, "Nooooo. Stayyyy!" This wasn't fair! He wanted to play with Daddy's nice friend.

Both Stephen and Tony were shocked to hear Peter’s outburst of protests, but perhaps Tony most of all. 

“Baby, Stephen’s gotta go. He’ll come over to play with you sometime, okay?” Tony explained and looked up at Stephen for him to confirm. The doctor nodded, but then had to silence his pager when it beeped again. 

“We’ll see each other again, Peter. I promise. I gotta go now.” Stephen said apologetically and waved to Peter before hurrying off.

Peter frowned, watching with teary eyes as Stephen disappeared from view. He turned back to Tony and whined. “Not fair!” He angrily poked at Tony’s knee. “Bring him back, Daddy! Now!”

“Hey, hey, it’s all right.” Tony said and took Peter onto his lap to talk things out. “Stephen’s a doctor, remember? He’s gone to help someone who’s really sick, so it can’t be helped. Now, you’ll see him again soon.”

"When?" Peter asked with a small sniffle. He knew it was important for Stephen to go do his job and take care of people, but that didn't mean he wasn't disappointed.

“Uhm...” Good question. When was Stephen coming over?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you guys for reading! So, Peter and Stephen got to meet too. What do you think? Will Peter get another Daddy? ;))


	3. The Red Lollipops

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets his promised playdate with Stephen.

Tony had tried to hold back, he really had. It wasn't often that he showed such little self-restraint. He entered the hospital, which no one blinked an eye at. They were probably assuming that he'd come in for work today. He went up to his office and lingered there for a while, wondering if Stephen would magically appear there. When he didn't (surprise surprise), Tony headed back downstairs, frustrated. He went straight for the front desk and asked as politely as he could, "Excuse me? Do you happen to know where Dr. Stephen Strange is?"

The receptionist took a glance at him, looking a bit confused. "I'm not too sure, I'm sorry," she apologized. "He's most likely in the middle of an appointment right now. Today's one of the busy days."

Tony nodded and thanked her before backing away. He paced for a while until he noticed how irritated the receptionist looked with him for doing so. Then, he headed for her again and asked if she knew where he was again. Looking a lot less friendlier, she shook her head. 

Tony frowned. "It's an emergency," he added. "It involves a Little. My little boy." It wasn't a complete lie. It totally was an emergency. Peter had been asking him every single day if the nice doctor was going to visit their house. To his satisfaction, the receptionist was able to tell him where Stephen was after typing into her computer for a bit. Grinning, Tony left, and headed for Stephen's office. He was glad Stephen was there instead of a different room; it meant he didn't have anyone with him as of right now. Double checking that it was the right door, he knocked and entered. 

Thinking it was just a helpless resident doctor asking for more advice on how to pick their specialties, Stephen didn’t bother to look up when someone knocked and entered his office. But, when the person didn’t start apologising right away, like all the residents did, the doctor paused and looked to the door. His face cracked into a wide grin at the sight of Tony. He stood up hastily. 

“Tony! Hi! I didn’t expect you.” Stephen said, still a bit high on the pleasant surprise of seeing the money man. Perhaps even his favourite money man.

Tony smiled back, unable to suppress it. "Hey, Doc," he greeted. "Took me a while to find you. I had to insist that it was an emergency to the receptionist for her to even give me information." He laughed a bit, rubbing the back of his neck. "You wanna help me with this emergency I have on my hands?”

“Yeah, of course. What is it?” Stephen asked, perhaps too quickly. He walked around his desk to be closer to Tony.

Tony smiled, a bit ruefully. "Peter really misses you," he said bluntly. There was nothing to sugarcoat; it was the truth. "He's been asking me every single day if you're coming over." He laughed, seeing Stephen grin at that. "So, Doctor, do you mind coming and helping me with my little boy? Seems like it's a problem only you can solve."

“I—I’d love to.” Stephen smiled widely and took out his phone. He unlocked it, and went into the contacts before handing the phone to Tony so that he could add his number and name. “So, how’s he been? Besides the whining.” The doctor chuckled.

Tony smiled. “He’s been okay,” he said. “You know, mischievous but still adorable. I’ve noticed he’s had a bit of a cough lately, but I’m hoping it’ll just pass. Just that time of the year, you know?” He grimaced, making a mental note to ask Peter if he was sick—though, he couldn’t guarantee he would get a straight answer from him.

“Yeah, just keep an eye on it. And you know, I wouldn’t mind having a look at him if you want,” Stephen offered and took his phone back once Tony had put in his number. The doctor tried to keep his cool, although on the inside he was freaking out. He just got the hot money man’s number. That had to mean something, right? “So, I have the day off on Friday, if you’d like to do the playdate then?”

“That would be great, actually,” Tony agreed. “I just worry about him, you know? Just don’t want him to be sick and then we find out too late.” He frowned. “Although, you might find that he’ll be all pouty and quiet with you for a bit if you do check him over. Always does that with me; grumpy little boy.” Tony chuckled. “And Friday works perfect for me.” He didn’t even have to think about it.

“Of course.” Stephen smiled, although a bit sadly when he remembered what Tony had told him about Peter’s awful experience with appendicitis. “And I have a lot of experience with troublesome patients, so I wouldn’t be too stressed,” Stephen said and shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s great.” Tony smiled. “I’m sure it’ll be okay.” God, he really hoped so. “Um, I should probably— go now. Don’t wanna keep bothering you.” With an awkward laugh, he backed away, though he couldn’t help glancing at him one more time. “I’ll see you on Friday?”

“Yeah, I really look forward to it.” Stephen smiled genuinely and then added quickly before Tony left. “Tell him I said hi.”

“I will.” Tony waved, then left with a grin on his face. He couldn’t wait to tell Peter that his favourite doctor was coming over. Maybe he should leave out the check up part though, he thought with a chuckle.  
__________

“Daddy! Daddy! Is he here yet?” Peter called, running down the stairs at lightning speed. He stumbled on the last few stairs with a squeak, but managed to catch himself. “Daddyyy!”

While Tony tried to manage an overly excited Peter, Stephen pulled up to the address Tony had put into his phone on Friday. He took a deep breath to calm himself, then another before finally climbing out of the car. He was equally nervous and excited as he went to the front door and rang the doorbell. Damn, should he have brought something?

Peter gasped at the sound of the doorbell and ran to the door. He heard Tony call his name behind him and he skidded to a stop at the door, tapping his legs impatiently. He knew better than to open the door by himself, but could Daddy take any longer? 

Tony opened the door, revealing Stephen standing there. Peter grinned widely and waved. "Hi!" he chirped. "Come in! Let's go play!"

“Hi, Peter!” Stephen grinned back and let the boy drag him in. He barely had time to remove his overcoat with the way Peter was clinging onto his arm. “Someone’s excited, huh?” 

“Peter, come on now. Give our guest some space,” Tony said and took a hold of Peter’s shoulders and held him against his front. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

Peter blushed when he was pulled back, but he still bounced on his feet excitedly. That is, until he saw Stephen put down a bag. Frowning, he pointed at it. "What's that?" He cleared his throat when his voice cracked. He knew Daddy had been suspicious of his throat for a while now, which was why he needed to make sure it didn't do exactly what it was doing now.

“Just my bag. I bring it almost wherever I go,” Stephen explained, not just revealing that it was his medical bag. He knew it was old fashioned, but then again it came in very handy in situations like these. “We can have a look at it together in a bit.”

Peter frowned at that but gave in, saying, "Okay." He looked up at Tony and said, "Can we go play now?" He pouted. He really wanted to show Stephen some of his new toys that Daddy had got for him. They were so cool that even Bucky was jealous, no matter how much he claimed he wasn't.

“Yeah, I guess we can,” Stephen said and picked up his bag again, then looked at Tony for conformation. 

“Peter, why don’t you show our guest around while I make us some drinks? Coffee?” Tony asked, and Stephen expressed his thanks before being dragged off by the little boy.

"Gonna show you my room," Peter told Stephen very seriously, pulling him towards the stairs. "Daddy gave me so many cool toys! Gonna show you them." They made their way up the stairs slowly. Normally, Peter liked it when Tony carried him up the stairs; it was faster and it felt safer, but he was too shy to ask Stephen for help. So, they took it step by step, Stephen patiently allowing the boy to go at his own speed. They reached the top of the stairs eventually and Peter brightened when they did. "Look! Is my room!" He pointed excitedly to the door, where a sign hung. 'PETER' was written on it, decorated with paint. "Did it myself!" he declared proudly.

“You did? Wow, that’s impressive.” Stephen smiled. His cheeks were starting to hurt already from smiling so much, but he couldn’t help it when Peter was such a vibrant ball of energy and pure joy. He wondered if that would take a 180 degree turn when he would have a look at the boy’s throat because of his cough. But, for now, Stephen focused on Peter’s tour that he did of his room. He had a bed with side rails, a low table to colour on and such, a bookshelf and another shelf with what looked like boxes of toys.

Peter was delighted when Stephen showed approval of his toys, especially his favourite stuffie. "Sometimes Daddy is mean and washes him," he told Stephen sadly. "It scares him 'n that's not allowed!" He heard Tony call for them and he frowned. "Was gonna show you my crayons," he complained.

“We can do that later, I’m sure. Let’s go see what your Daddy made us,” Stephen suggested and gestured to the door. Hopping up from the floor where he was knelt down, Peter headed out the door while Stephen followed him. In the nice and airy living room, Tony had put two cups of coffee by the coffee table in front of the leather couch, as well as a sippy cup of juice.

Peter ran up to his Daddy, squealed, "Orange juice!" before giving him a kiss. Then, he happily sat down, drinking his juice. When Stephen and Tony just chuckled and watched him, he whined and patted the spot next to him. "Sit!" he demanded.

And so Tony and Stephen sat, one on Peter’s left side and the other on his right. For a few moments, they just enjoyed their drinks, but Stephen kept noticing how Peter seemed to be eyeing him. And eyeing him a lot. 

“What’s up, bud?” Stephen asked with a chuckle.

Peter pulled his drink back, appraising Stephen for another minute, almost suspiciously, before he asked, “Are you doing scary doctor stuff today?” He jammed his drink back in his mouth, almost anxiously sucking on his drink.

Stephen’s eyebrows twitched upwards just a bit in surprise at the direct question, but he quickly composed himself and set his cup down before turning to the boy. 

“Your Daddy invited me over to play with you, like we agreed on last time we met. But, he did also say that you’ve been having a cough lately. He asked me if I could look at it,” the doctor said honestly, shooting Tony a slightly nervous look on whether that was the right decision or not.

Tony shrugged back, knowing it wouldn’t have done anything anyway to sugar-coat it. It probably would’ve made Peter distrust Stephen even more. 

Peter bit his lip, pulling his drink back nervously. He scooted closer to Tony. “Don’t have a cough,” he said softly. “Not sick. Promise!”

“I hear you, Peter, I do. But, your Daddy only wants you to get checked out because he cares about you. Not because he wants you to get upset, okay?” Stephen added calmly, and remained where he was so that Peter got the distance that he seemed to need.

“Stephen’s right, baby. We’re not doing this to make you hurt or upset on purpose. We just want the best for you, because I’d be a terrible Daddy if I didn’t get you the help you needed if you were sick.”

Peter pouted, turning to Tony pleadingly. “Steph is here to play!” he whined. “Wanna go colour. Not—not scary doctor stuff.” 

When Tony opened his arms, he fell right into the embrace. He felt Tony soothingly patting his back and couldn’t stop the cough that bubbled up in his throat. “Is it gonna hurt?” he asked, voice a low whisper.

“Not at all, bud,” Stephen answered this time, since he knew the details of a respiratory exam way better than Tony. “If you want, we could practice together on one of your stuffies. Or maybe your Daddy can volunteer?” the doctor thought and looked up at Tony, who seemed pleasantly surprised by the idea. 

“How does that sound?” Tony asked gently and rubbed Peter’s back. “We can just practice together first, and Stephen won’t have a look at you till you feel okay with it. Can that be a deal?”

Peter bit his lip, then nodded, figuring it was the best he was gonna get. “On Daddy first,” he insisted for clarification, looking sternly at Stephen. “And— and I want my stuffie with me.” He crossed his arms, trying to show that it was non-negotiable.

“Yeah, sounds fair to me.” Tony said and patted Peter’s back before looking up at Stephen. Oh God, what had he gotten himself into? 

“Okay, can you find the stuffie you want?” Stephen asked and Peter nodded before getting up and heading to his room. While they were alone, Tony and Stephen met each other's eyes.

Tony laughed. “Will it hurt?” he asked, only half joking. Stephen smirked back. “You’re great with him,” Tony said with a soft smile. “You actually got him to agree without crying. That’s— yeah, wow.” 

“Daddy!” Peter had come back downstairs, clutching a fox stuffie—his favourite, called Chestnut—close to his chest. “You talkin’ bout me?”

Stephen was almost a bit sad to see Peter return so quickly, because that meant less time to flirt with Tony. Flirt? Wait, so he was after him? 

“Okay, Peter. You wanna sit over there so that you can see?” Stephen suggested and pointed Peter to the other side of the coffee table. That way, he could see all the action.

Peter nodded and cautiously inched his way over to his spot. He sat down, holding Chestnut as a source of comfort, and chewed on his bottom lip. “No hurting Daddy,” he said nervously, looking at Stephen. Tony smiled at that; his baby boy was the sweetest little thing ever.

“No hurting Daddy,” Stephen repeated to confirm and waited until Peter nodded and gave his final permission. Then, the doctor turned to his ‘patient.’ “So, first I’m going to ask your Daddy a few questions about how he’s been lately and such, okay? It’s important for me to know about his backstory a bit to make the right diagnosis.”

Peter bit his lip. “Okay,” he said softly. He still felt a bit scared, but if he got to see how Daddy was treated, then maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. There wouldn’t be any surprises, that was for sure. 

Tony smiled at his baby boy and how nervous he looked, but this was by far the calmest he’d ever been around a doctor, so maybe something would be different this time. He turned to Stephen and said, “Ask away, Doctor.”

With a hint of a smile, Stephen began with his questions. He asked about Tony’s overall health, underlying conditions and his symptoms. It seemed like Tony was projecting Peter’s symptoms onto himself, so that worked out well. Once done with the questions, Stephen said he’d start the real exam.

“Now, I’m going to look at your Daddy’s throat first. You can come closer and see with me,” Stephen prompted and took a penlight and tongue depressor from his bag.

Peter scooted forwards and watched, mouth slightly open, as Tony opened his mouth for Stephen. “Does it hurt, Daddy?” he asked anxiously, forgetting that his Daddy’s mouth was currently occupied. 

Tony smiled but didn’t say anything, waiting for Stephen to finish up.

“Then I’m gonna look at his throat for a bit, and it doesn’t hurt,” Stephen answered for Tony before finishing up with the penlight. Then, he explained the next step for Peter. “Then I feel the lymph nodes on his neck. They are up here and they get inflamed and get bigger than they should be when we are sick,” the doctor explained and felt Tony’s lymph nodes on his neck just like he said. If it weren’t for the fact that he was explaining everything to Peter, Stephen would have probably freaked out about touching Tony so intimately already.

At that, Peter frowned and brought a hand up to his own neck where Stephen was touching Tony’s. He caught Stephen and Tony smiling at that, and he pouted and declared, “Feels fine! ‘m a doctor too, so I know!” He poked Stephen. “Is done now?”

“Almost. Now I’ll check your Daddy’s temperature,” Stephen said and took out a thermometer that took its measurements by scanning someone's forehead. The doctor did exactly that and then showed Peter the reading. “See? Just a normal temperature.”

Peter's mouth dropped open in awe and he held out his stuffie. "Do it!" he demanded. When Tony shot him a look, he corrected, "Please. And then— and then do me!" Although the thermometer was still a bit scary, since it involved scary doctor stuff, Peter had never seen a thermometer like this one before, or at least, he didn't remember seeing one like this, and he couldn't help but be curious.

“All right.” Stephen chuckled and ran the thermometer across the fox’s forehead, then showed Peter the reading, although it wasn’t a new one and it still showed Tony’s temperature. “It’s normal. Then it’s your turn,” the doctor said and lifted the device when Peter didn’t back away.

Peter bit his lip and couldn't help but squeeze Chestnut tightly, a bit scared now that it was finally his turn. He shut his eyes, not wanting to see it, and sat there, very, very still, waiting for Stephen to pull back and tell him that his temperature was normal too—because it had to be, right?

“Good, good boy, Peter,” Tony praised when Stephen scanned his forehead. He would never have guessed that the boy would be this calm and obedient during a check-up.

“There! It’s normal for you too,” Stephen announced and showed Peter the reading. “You’re so brave, bud. Are you okay with me doing your check now that we got started?”

Peter opened his eyes when Stephen showed him the reading and couldn't help but exhale shakily in relief. He relaxed a bit, realizing how hard he'd been gripping his stuffie. Nodding, he said softly, "Okay," before looking at Tony. Tony gave him a nod of approval and an encouraging smile, which made him feel a little bit better. Shyly, Peter asked, "Can I sit on Daddy's lap?

Nodding with a smile, Tony took Peter onto his lap and rubbed a hand across his tummy to soothe him. 

“So, Stephen’s just gonna do the same that he did to me, okay? You’ll be just fine,” Tony reassured and waited for Peter to nod before looking at the doctor.

Peter watched as Stephen got ready, squirming a bit. "Really don't have to do a check-up," he tried one last time. "Throat doesn't hurt anymore, Daddy!" He hugged Chestnut tightly, covering his face with it.

“I’m glad that it doesn’t hurt anymore, baby, but I still want Stephen to check you over. You’ll be okay, just do as we say and you’ll be fine,” Tony soothed and bounced his leg too to make Peter bounce. 

“Can you say ‘ahhh’ for me and open wide?” Stephen asked and tapped Peter’s lip gently with the tongue depressor.

Peter nervously swallowed, then opened his mouth. “Ahhhh,” he repeated, whimpering a bit when he felt the tongue depressor. “Weird,” he garbled.

At Peter’s garbles, Tony chuckled fondly and rubbed his tummy again. Considering how Peter was so afraid of doctors, Stephen was extra careful now and even decided against pushing the depressor properly in to have a look at the boy’s throat. If he made the boy gag and cry, that could be disastrous. And they had made such progress already.

“There! All done. You’re so brave, Peter. Gosh, I’m so impressed by you,” Stephen praised with a face of awe for emphasis.

Peter blushed at the praise, squirming. “Thank you,” he said softly, grinning. It hadn’t been as bad as he’d thought it would be. In fact, if he got praised like this each time.... “More! Next!” Peter said, clapping his hands a bit. 

Tony laughed at that, surprised at Peter’s actions and mood, but relieved that the whole thing hadn’t become a huge mess.

“More? Sure, buddy.” Stephen chuckled and then lifted his hands to feel Peter’s lymph nodes. “This is all a piece of cake for you, huh?” The doctor asked, both as a distraction from what he was doing, but also as even more praise. The boy seemed to be lapping it up.

Tony chuckled when Peter nodded eagerly. “Doesn’t hurt!” the boy claimed, but frowned when Stephen hummed without saying a word. “Am I okay?” he asked, growing a bit scared again.

“It’s a bit inflamed, but that makes sense with the cough. You probably just have a very mild cold,” Stephen concluded with a smile, which was the truth. The boy could hardly be properly sick with the way he was bouncing off of the walls earlier.

Peter frowned when he heard what Stephen had said. “Not sick though,” he explained, confused. “Don’t feel sick.” 

Tony frowned as well, a bit worried for his baby. “Does he need medicine?” he asked, then winced when Peter gasped at that. Yeah, he probably should’ve asked that without Peter nearby.

“Not in the condition he is in now, I don’t think. Over the counter cough drops should be enough,” Stephen reassured, but made a mental note to tell Tony to seek out their doctor if Peter got worse. But, he saved Peter from hearing that for now. The boy had done so well already.

Peter sighed in relief at that, and turned to look at Tony. Firmly, he said, “No medicine ever!” as if that would make his Daddy agree instantly with him. 

Tony shushed him, petting his hair, and looked at Stephen. He was relieved to hear Peter wasn’t in a completely terrible state, but was worried it would get worse. He’d have to make sure Peter stayed warm all the time and didn’t get any icky germs. He would do whatever Stephen recommended, since the doctor was experienced with these situations. As much as Tony worked in a hospital, he wasn’t too familiar with medical procedures.

“We’re all done now, Peter. You were so brave,” Stephen praised again before putting away his instruments.

“How was it?” Tony asked, referring to what Peter thought of the exam. “Was it as scary as you thought?”

Peter bit his lip, then shook his head. “Just a lil bit,” he said with a pout. “But—nice doctor!” He pointed to Stephen.

Tony nodded, smiling. “That’s right, baby, Stephen is a very nice doctor.” Maybe Peter should do his annual checkups with Stephen now, Tony thought.

“That’s high praise, thank you,” Stephen smiled and bowed his head. “But, most of the credit goes to you, little man,” the doctor said and tapped Peter on his nose for emphasis. “You were so brave after all, and I know this was hard for you. But, you pulled through with flying colours.”

Peter grinned at that. “Lollipop!” he said brightly, remembering how he always got lollipops after being brave. He looked at Stephen expectantly, hearing Tony chuckle from behind him. 

“The one thing you never forget after a check up, huh?” Tony grinned.

As if pulling off a magic trick, Stephen seemingly pulled out a lollipop from thin air, but it was actually just behind his back after searching in his bag a bit. 

“There you go, mister, well done,” Stephen said and handed Peter the red heart-shaped lollipop, then thought of something. “I guess you deserve one too,” he added and gave Tony one too with a slight blush.

Peter happily took his lollipop, ripping off the wrapper excitedly. When Tony nudged him, he stuck it in his mouth and mumbled, “Thank you.” 

Tony looked at his own and smiled at Stephen. “Thanks, Doc,” he chuckled. Unlike Peter, he didn’t rip it open right away, but just pocketed it.

After his check up, Peter seemed to perk up considerably and was back to being energetic and playful. He dragged both Stephen and Tony to his room again to play. They all played for a while, and happily so, with both legos and actions figures and animals that Peter had. Every now and then the two men kept exchanging fond looks, and whenever one was caught by the other, they would blush and avert their gaze like love-struck teenagers. However, the playing eventually had to come to an end when Peter began yawning. It was about time for a nap.

“Nap time, Pete,” Tony said gently, reaching forward and picking him up. 

Peter let out a whine of complaint, making grabby hands at Stephen. “Play,” he whimpered, but easily gave up when he felt his eyelids grow heavier and heavier. So instead, he turned to his Daddy and rested his head on his shoulder, closing his eyes. It had been a while since he had such an exciting day, and it had tired him out.

“I’ll wait downstairs,” Stephen whispered, wanting Peter to have a quiet moment alone with his Daddy before naptime. Tony mouthed his thanks and then turned to lay Peter down on his bed to rest.

Peter made a huffing noise when Tony placed him gently in bed, peeking an eye open drowsily to point at a leaving Stephen. 

Tony chuckled and placed a hand on his forehead, brushing his curls back. "Sleep, baby," he whispered, and like magic, Peter fell asleep. God, he must've really been exhausted to fall asleep so fast without complaint. 

Tony headed downstairs to where Stephen was waiting and was greeted with a smile. "The Little one's fast asleep," he announced, though he made sure to keep his voice down in fear of waking Peter up.

“Good, good.” Stephen smiled and approached Tony when he joined him downstairs. “He needs the rest to recover from his mild cold, so...” the doctor mused, and suddenly felt very awkward being alone with Tony.

Tony rubbed the back of his neck and nodded. "Yeah, I'll make sure that he gets lots of rest." He sucked the inside of his cheek, not wanting an awkward silence between them when they'd had such a nice day. "So, what're you gonna do now?" he eventually asked, then mentally berated himself for sounding so stupid.

“I guess I should head back home.” Stephen half-smiled. He wanted to stay, he really did, but perhaps it was time to end it before things got too awkward or complicated. “I’d love to stay, but I have an early shift tomorrow and— yeah.” 

Tony nodded frenetically. “Right. Of course.” He smiled, but it felt wrong and he knew it had probably looked way too forced. “Well, uh, I’ll show you to the door.” He led Stephen over and stopped, turning to look at the man. And just— wow, he was beautiful. He would never get tired of looking at this one specific doctor. He couldn’t help the way his eyes flitted from his eyes to his lips without his permission.

When Tony stopped all of a sudden, Stephen also felt a bit unsteady on his feet. His eyes met Tony’s, and he felt even more disorientated. Those dark, warm chocolate eyes seemed to shift his whole sense of gravity, not literally in the physical sense, but rather... 

Before he knew what he was doing, his lips were against Tony’s.

Tony was a bit surprised at first, but he gave in quickly. It wasn't like he hadn't wanted this. He kissed back softly, unable to help but draw Stephen closer to him. Eventually, they pulled back for breath, and they stared at each other, blushing. Tony laughed, a bit awkwardly. "Wow."

“I—I don’t usually— I mean...” Stephen stuttered out, a dark blush colouring his cheekbones rapidly as the realisation of what he had done hit him. And even worse, or better, Tony seemed to like it.

"Shhh," Tony told him, and kissed him again, effectively shutting down the inevitable rambling. He grinned when they pulled back again, relieved when Stephen seemed a bit more at ease. "Feel free to do it again," he told him teasingly.

Stephen took Tony on that offer and began kissing him again, but with more confidence and hunger. But, he restrained himself enough to not take Tony’s breath away completely, but left him a bit shaken. The doctor laughed softly before speaking in a slightly hushed tone. They were so close after all. “You’re not so bad, money man.”

Tony laughed at that. “You’re a good kisser, Doc. Maybe you should help me learn some techniques one day.” He grinned, enjoying the way Stephen blushed at that. He looked even more gorgeous when his cheeks were tinted pink. “You sure you don’t wanna stay for a bit longer?”

Stephen hesitated. He had said he should go, but... How could he? His feet will literally not bring him to the door and out to his car. Not when he had fallen this hard for a money man from administration. “Just a bit longer,” he said finally, and tried not to giggle at how Tony’s eyes lit up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you sm for reading! So, how’s that for a playdate? ;)


	4. The Green Monkey Bars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter goes to the park with his Daddy, but the trip is cut short.

Peter was delighted the entire time they drove to the playground. This one wasn't just the simple one near his house; it was the best playground in the whole world! It was huge and had high monkey bars and swings and anything and everything Peter could imagine. He didn't even fuss when Tony strapped him into his carseat, just excited to get there soon. "Daddy, you gonna play with me too?" he asked, wondering if his Daddy would push him on the swings.

“I will, yeah! At least on stuff that isn’t dirty. I’m not dressed like you are, you see?” Tony pointed out with a chuckle. While Peter was dressed for play, Tony wasn’t exactly that. Even on days off like these, he prefered nice slacks and a shirt. To finish off his look, he had dark shades on, but he had them up on his head now so he could see Peter.

Peter nodded, satisfied with his Daddy's answer. He hummed, watching as they drove. He knew they were almost there, and the longer they waited, the more jittery from excitement he became. "Daddy?" he asked, sticking a thumb into his mouth. "Are we gonna see friends there?"

“There will probably be others there, yeah,” Tony said and glanced up at the boy through the rearview mirror. “If you want to play with someone, remember to introduce yourself and be polite. Okay?”

Peter nodded, biting his lip. “Okay,” he agreed, remembering how his Daddy always talked about how important manners were. Kicking his feet, he asked, “What if they’re mean?” He frowned; he didn’t want to be nice to someone who was being mean to him!

“Then you come to me, okay? We can work it out together.” Tony said, not wanting Peter to have to worry about negotiations or even fights with Littles he didn’t know. “And that means you can’t be mean to others, right?” he added.

Peter was still frowning, but he nodded. “Okay, Daddy,” he agreed, nibbling on his bottom lip. He gasped in delight when the playground came into view and clapped his hands excitedly. “Look!” he exclaimed.

Tony smiled fondly at seeing Peter so excited at seeing the park. Within a few minutes, Tony had parked and shut the engine off, then went to help Peter out of his car seat. Grasping the boy’s hand, Tony started walking with Peter towards the park.

“Wanna go on the swings!” Peter told Tony happily. “And you can push me!” They passed by a small sandbox where a Little was playing and Peter looked at Tony. “Did you bring my sandbox toys, Daddy?”

“I think they are still in the trunk from last time,” Tony pointed out, and based on Peter’s squeals, he definitely wanted Tony to go fetch them. “Okay, okay, you just wait here and I’ll go get them,” the man said and gestured to the swings.

Peter nodded and eagerly headed over. He sat down on them, humming to himself and kicking his feet in the dirt. Suddenly, another Little ran past him, squealing as they headed straight for the green monkey bars. Peter watched longingly as they climbed on the bars, swinging down. Peter took a look back at the direction Tony had disappeared in; sometimes Daddy helped him play on the monkey bars. But Daddy was taking too long to come back. Maybe Peter would be okay if he went alone. He was a big boy, right? That was why his Daddy had left him alone for a few moments to get his toys. 

So, he headed to the bars, climbing up eagerly and gripping the bars. He swung and the palm of his hands stung a bit, but it wasn't unbearable. He managed to get to the other side and he grinned, feeling rather pleased with himself.

"You wanna try climbing up here?" 

Peter looked up and the other Little gestured to himself, who was sitting on the top of the bars. Peter had never done that before, but…

"I can help you!"

"Okay," Peter agreed, standing up taller. He managed to get himself up, grunting with the effort, and giggled when he succeeded. 

"I'm the king of the castle," the other little told him in a singing tone, grinning at him. "Look!"

Peter watched in awe as he stood up on the bars shakily, but managed to stay there. "I wanna try!" He stood up, but he'd gotten up too fast that he felt himself wobble back, then slip. He yelped as he fell, banging his head on one of the bars and hit the ground with a thud. He heard the other Little crying out in surprise, but he couldn't pay it any attention. He felt weird, like there was no strength in his arms or legs, and everything felt dizzy. Maybe it would help if he closed his eyes? So he did, and everything went black.

The next time Peter woke up, he was not where he last remembered being. Weren’t they at the park? What happened to the park? This wasn’t a park. He was inside somewhere. 

“We’re 2 minutes out. How’s the bleeding?” 

“It’s slowed a bit, and pupils are still reacting.” 

Who was that talking? It didn’t sound like his Daddy. Where was Daddy? Panic quickly spread into his limbs and made him want to do something. But, moving hurt. And a lot. What was going on?

Peter couldn’t help but make a small noise, a little whimper at the back of his throat. He was scared; he didn’t know what was happening. The only thing he knew was that he wanted Daddy. He whimpered again.

“Hey! Hey— he’s awake! Peter, Peter! It’s okay... Daddy’s here,” Tony said tearfully, and reached both hands to grasp Peter’s smaller one. But he didn’t get to see his boy properly before the paramedic leaned over to examine Peter again. 

“Hey, there. You’re okay, bud. Just stay calm for me. Can you open your eyes?” the female paramedic asked kindly and lifted a gloved hand to stroke at the boy’s bloodied cheek. The source of said blood was from a gash in the boy’s scalp, but a pressure wound was keeping the bleeding more or less in check. At least till they reached the ER.

Peter wanted to speak, but god, it was hard. He felt sluggish and it was like his mouth wouldn’t obey him. He just whimpered and held on to his Daddy’s hands tighter. He didn’t like how the scary strangers were dressed. He flinched when his cheek was touched, not liking it one bit. “Nooo,” he managed to whimper.

“It’s okay, bud, it’s okay. I’m right here, you’ll be okay,” Tony chanted while the female paramedic checked his boy’s pupils again. In all the chaos that had happened after Peter’s apparent fall from the monkey bars, Tony had forgotten the paramedic’s and her partner’s names when they had arrived after someone had called 911. He himself wasn’t sensible enough to make the call, some other caregiver at the park had done it, and nor was he very sensible now. He was just a terrified Daddy, reduced to his most primal instinct, and that was to make sure his Little was okay. “Please, say he’s okay, please...” 

“Sir, we are doing everything we can. We’re here now. We’d appreciate it if you could step aside once we arrive at the ER.” The paramedic told Tony, who nodded glumly in reply. 

Peter whimpered at that, holding on even tighter to Tony. “D-Da... stay,” he said, but winced when his head spun again. He felt sick. Peter felt them stop, and he whimpered again, terrified of Tony leaving him alone with these scary people.

The ambulance came to a stop, but things only moved faster from there. A doctor and a nurse in disposable gowns came to open the doors in the back and Peter was moved out on the gurney. Tony tried to follow, but he had to let go of Peter’s hand eventually, which tore at his insides. He watched as the paramedics and other medical staff began exchanging information quickly. 

“What we got?” The doctor asked. 

“Male Little, 20s, age range three to five according to his CG. Head trauma from falling and he’s lost a lot of blood from a gash on his scalp. Started an IV, oxygen...”

Tony couldn’t keep up with the paramedic’s ramblings. It all sounded so foreign, it just didn’t make sense in his head that she was saying all that. About Peter. But, it was all too real, and Tony had to follow, so he speed-walked after all the hospital staff members who were wheeling in his boy. 

“And— and he has medical trauma! Please— be gentle... he can’t—”

Peter tried to make grabby hands for Tony and whined when he didn’t get what he wanted. “Da, sta-a-ayyy,” he slurred, close to tears now. He didn’t know what was happening and he was terrified; he just wanted to be held by his Daddy.

Tony didn’t know if his warning about Peter’s medical trauma actually went through to the staff members who hurried and brought Peter to a room in the ER. He stumbled after, but by the door he was met by a nurse who held up her hand. “Sir, I’m afraid we can’t let you in now. We’ll come and inform you about your Little’s condition as soon as we can.”

Tony stared at her, feeling the panic course through his veins. What did they even mean he couldn’t be there with his baby? He wanted to open his mouth and protest, but the nurse backed away before he could, still staying to make sure he couldn’t go in but giving him some space. “Fuck,” Tony muttered to himself, pacing. He pulled out his phone to check the time before an idea hit him. He slammed Stephen’s contact with his finger, agitatedly waiting for him to pick up. He was relieved when he heard Stephen’s voice.

“Hey, money man...” Stephen drawled with a pleased smirk. Seeing Tony calling him was definitely cheering up his otherwise long and hard day at work, but then he heard Tony’s hesitation at replying to his greeting. “Hey, is everything all right?” the doctor asked, his tone more serious and concerned now.

Tony wanted to cry when he heard Stephen’s concern. “No, it’s ... it’s Peter,” he managed to say, rubbing his forehead with his other hand. “Fuck, Stephen...”

“What? What’s happened? Is he okay?” Stephen asked and got up from his seat in the cafeteria where he was having lunch. Based on Tony’s tone, he hated the fact that it was most likely something serious, terrible even, and so he excused himself from where he had been eating with his coworkers.

“He fell from the monkey bars while I was gone for a second and they said something about head trauma and blood loss and—” Tony exhaled shakily. “I don’t know what to do; what if he’s not okay and it’s my fault?” He almost started crying at that. “I don’t know what to do right now.”

Stephen felt his heart drop at that. He had met Peter a handful of times by now, and here he was just as worried as Tony. Like... Peter was his own Little. The doctor quickly began asking if they had called an ambulance already, and when Tony said they were at the ER, Stephen ran. “I’m coming, don’t worry. Just hold on, Tony.”

“Okay,” Tony said, instantly feeling relieved. For some reason, he felt better knowing that he wouldn’t have to wait alone. Sure enough, Stephen appeared, true to his word. Tony could’ve kissed him for forever right then and there.

Stephen found Tony in the ER, pacing back and forth anxiously. With a few quick strides, the doctor went over to him with his arms open. “Tony...”

"Fuck." Tony let Stephen hug him, enjoying the embrace. "Thank you so much for coming," he whispered. "Thank you." He pulled back and anxiously looked at him. "Is he going to be okay? Do you know how long this will take? Is he gonna have to stay in the hospital? He can't; he'll be so terrified and—"

Stephen could see how Tony was looking and gesturing to the room to their left. Through the windows, he could see doctors and nurses working on Peter. A bloodied Peter. Jesus, the doctor felt sick, which he never did when seeing trauma patients. But, somehow... “I’ll go in and get an update, okay? I promise I’ll make sure he is taken care of.” Stephen assured, and before he knew what he was doing, he kissed Tony on his lips quickly before heading into the ER room.

Tony nodded, relieved. “Thank you,” he said softly. He blushed at the kiss, feeling warm and tingly.  
__________

When Peter woke up, he found that he couldn't move. Well, he could move his hands, but it felt like his head was stuck in place. Was he okay? What was happening? Terrified, he began crying, unable to stop himself. It was cold too. "D-Da," he whimpered through his quiet sobs.

“He’s awake,” a nurse stated just when Stephen entered the room. He headed over so that Peter could see him while his C-collar around his neck prevented him from moving his head. On the left side of his head, there was a large pressure dressing, and some blood was seeping through the white cotton. 

“Doctor Strange! We were just about to page you,” the doctor in the room said, sounding surprised to see the neurosurgeon pop in out of nowhere. 

But Stephen ignored his coworker, Nick, and focused on Peter instead. “Hi, there, bud. Remember me?”

Peter tried to nod but felt even more devastated when he couldn't do it properly. "Uh-huhh," he whined. He wanted to be held by Stephen, if not his Daddy. It was the closest thing he had, and he knew from experience that Stephen wasn't one of the scary, mean doctors. Right?

“Hey, I heard you fell. You must be quite scared and confused, but we’re all here to take care of you. Your Daddy’s waiting right outside,” Stephen explained calmly and stroked Peter’s cheek lightly. 

“Strange, can we get on with it?” Nick asked, sounding almost bored. 

Stephen shot his coworker a nasty look, telling him to shut his mouth or get sent out of the room. “Are you hurting anywhere, bud?” he asked gently.

Peter made a whimpering noise. He didn’t like the other doctor, he sounded mean. But at Stephen’s touch, he relaxed a bit, and whispered, “Feel ick.” His tummy didn’t feel so good. It reminded him of when he had secretly eaten too much chocolate when Daddy had told him not to and they had all come back up. And oh no, suddenly, a wave of nausea hit him and he flinched, feeling sick.

“He’s gonna vomit.” Stephen stated and gestured for the nurse to help turn Peter on his side. 

But Nick didn’t seem to follow. “What?” In his slowness, Nick didn’t have nor make the time to react nor help, and so Peter vomited all over his scrubs and lab coat. 

“Get it out, it’s okay, Peter.” Stephen said to the boy while he and the nurse held him on his side. He tried not to let his smirk at seeing Nick with vomit all over his front, but it was quite the sight. He totally deserved it, in Stephen’s humble opinion. 

Peter choked, then started sobbing again right after he was done. He felt absolutely miserable and he didn’t want to be here anymore. In his self-pitying agony, he raised his arms, desperately begging Stephen to hold him. Turning Peter on his back again, the nurse grabbed a suction device and cleaned the boy’s mouth. When Peter seemed alarmed at the invading sensation and reached his arms up, Stephen shushed him and brushed back his hair. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. Maria is just cleaning out your mouth,” the doctor explained and patted the boy’s shoulder gently.

Peter whined at that, not liking it one bit. He was relieved when they were done with it but frowned. “Mouth ick,” he complained. “Water.”

“Not now, bud. We have to get you fixed up.” Stephen said. “Is it okay if I do it? Remember how we practiced together with your Daddy?” The doctor asked. By now, Nick had left the ER room to go change, leaving Stephen with the nurse Maria to work on Peter in peace.

Peter bit his lip. “Okay,” he whispered. “No owies though.” He was already hurting enough and he didn’t want anymore. “What’re you gonna do?”

“I’m going to ask you a few questions and do some checks. You just try and relax and we’ll be done soon.” Stephen assured him and smiled a bit at how brave Peter was being. It was amazing how much they had actually accomplished considering the boy’s previous trauma.

“Okay,” Peter agreed quietly. He knew Stephen would do his best to not hurt him, especially since he’d taken such good care of his Daddy and his stuffie before too. Stephen smiled when he agreed and shyly, Peter added, “Trust you.”

“There’s a good boy.” Stephen praised and smiled warmly. But, before the overwhelming feeling of pride for Peter’s accomplishments took over him, Stephen focused back on the task at hand. He needed to fix the boy, both the boy and his Daddy counted on him for that.

__________

Three hours later, Peter was transported onto the ward after getting his scalp stitched and brain and spine scanned for injuries. They had found none, so the final diagnosis was a mild concussion and some confusion and sluggishness due to the blood loss. The boy would make a full recovery within a few months, and his scalp would not scar much. Stephen had been present through it all, talking Peter through each step and showering him with praise. Some of the nurses seemed surprised at that. Sure, Stephen was known to be good with Littles, but this was different. The doctor did not pay their surprise much mind though, and continued to focus on Peter and texted Tony updates regularly.

Once Peter was moved onto the ward to rest and be monitored, Tony was finally able to join him properly and sit by his bedside to hold his hand. Stephen was there too, but he kept a slight distance to let Tony have some time with his sleeping boy. Stephen had stitched up the gash on the side of Peter’s head himself, all the while chatting with the boy. Soon after dressing the wound, the boy had fallen asleep, and he had remained asleep for a while now. But, it was good. He needed the rest. 

Tony exhaled, gently petting Peter’s hand soothingly. The boy was finally resting, and Tony was relieved to see that he looked better. He had looked so pale in the ambulance. “Thank you so much, Stephen,” he said softly.

“No need, Tony,” Stephen replied and came over to the man where he was sitting on Peter’s bedside. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and squeezed gently. “He’ll be alright. He’ll make a full recovery.”

“You’re— yeah, you’re the best doctor here.” Tony didn’t care if he was being biased. “And Peter loves you.” The boy stirred a bit, so Tony quieted down for a moment and rubbed his hand with his thumb. Tony looked at Stephen, who smiled back at him, and just like last time, Tony’s eyes fluttered down to Stephen’s lips. God, he wanted to kiss the man. But was it inappropriate in this setting? Did Stephen care?

And I love you, Stephen thought to himself, or perhaps he said it aloud. He wasn’t sure, but his lips were on Tony’s again. Except this time the kiss was not rushed.

Tony made a pleased noise, taking his time to properly enjoy his kiss with Stephen. He pulled back and was about to go in for another when there was a small noise next to him. They pulled apart and Peter, who was very much wide awake, was staring at them. 

Tony stared back at him, then said, “Shhh, baby. Go back to sleep,” making Stephen choke back his laugh. 

Peter blinked, then pointed at Stephen. “Are you my Daddy now too?”

“I—” Stephen started, not knowing what to say. 

Luckily, Tony stepped up and put both hands on the boy’s shoulders to keep him still laying on the bed. “Hey, baby. You just rest. You got hurt, and you need to rest.”

Peter frowned at that and scowled at his Daddy. Refusing to give in, he repeated, “Are you my Daddy too?” He looked at Stephen, and then at Tony.

“He’s a bit high on the morphine, I’m sure he’s just—” Stephen started with a nervous chuckle, but then he met Tony’s eyes. He seemed... hopeful? As if, he wanted... 

“I think he wants you to be, though,” Tony said, a soft smile on his lips. 

Stephen wanted to kiss him again so badly.

Peter nodded from where he was laying, then winced when he tried to sit up. “Be my Daddy,” he demanded, then shyly added, “Please,” for good measure.

How could Stephen say no with the way Peter and Tony were looking at him? But not only that, he wanted to. He really did, so it was a simple choice. “Yeah, I’ll be your Daddy.” Stephen agreed, making Tony gasp in delight like a Little would.

Tony blushed when he realised how excited he’d sounded, but covered it up by cooing to Peter, “Looks like you’ve got a new Daddy now, baby!” 

Peter giggled and clapped his hands. “Group hug!” he demanded.

Carefully, Stephen and Tony hugged Peter together, keeping in mind his delicate head. “Have you wanted Stephen as a Daddy for a long time, baby?” Tony asked, curious to know where Peter got the idea and desire.

Peter shrugged. “He’s nice,” was all he said shyly. That gave Tony enough information and he smiled. Peter grinned up at them both. “Is a big family now!”

Tony was about to comment on that, but then he saw how Peter was struggling with keeping his gaze focused. He swayed a bit where he was sitting up, and so both Stephen and Tony guided him to lay back down. 

“We can talk more later, baby.” Tony whispered and leaned down to kiss the boy’s forehead. 

“You just rest now.” Stephen added and stroked Peter’s cheek with the back of his fingers.

“Hmm.” Peter didn’t even argue, just letting his eyes close and falling into a deep sleep. 

Tony grinned and looked at Stephen. “That’s your baby too now,” he told him. Reaching for Stephen’s hand, he held it and said, “It’s just like he said. We’re a big family now.”

“Does that mean—we are officially dating now?” Stephen asked Tony and tried to ignore the prickling feeling of nerves at saying it out loud.

Tony blinked at him, then nodded. There were butterflies in his stomach. When had they gotten there? “Yeah,” he said softly. “We are.”

“As you wish, money man.” Stephen said teasingly, as if this wasn’t what he had hoped for a long time. Before Tony could say his snarky comeback comment, Stephen sealed his own and shut him right up.

Tony smiled at Stephen. “I’m so glad we met,” he admitted. “And I’m glad you gave me an attitude when we first met. It was definitely a memorable first impression.” He laughed at the thought, seeing Stephen blush. “Don’t be embarrassed, honey,” he teased. “It’s what brought us together, isn’t it?” He glanced at Peter. “Along with our baby, of course.”

“Yeah, I’m so lucky that I met you two. Counting all my lucky stars and all that.” Stephen chuckled and leaned down to kiss Tony’s cheek, then his mouth again. Somehow, the man was even more kissable now when they had broken the ice and agreed on a relationship. He could hardly wait for what was to come, but of course it might all have to wait for Peter’s sake. But, at least Tony wasn’t alone with him now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Poor Petey, huh? But, now he has two Daddies!


	5. The Purple Puppy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An epilogue.

Peter was going on an adventure. It wasn’t very far away, but it was still an exciting one nonetheless. He had to be quiet to make sure his Daddies wouldn’t hear though, because then they would give him a frown and ask, “Peter Benjamin, what are you up to?”

So Peter tip-toed quietly down the hallway. He had put on socks, all by himself, because he knew that his fuzzy ones made his footsteps quieter. When he reached the door, he looked behind him for good measure, and then opened it slowly and quietly. He grinned when he saw the room was empty, and shuffled over to Stephen’s desk, where an unopened chocolate bar sat. “Mine,” he whispered, reaching out for it. His hand almost touched the bar when suddenly, hands on his shoulders stopped him.

“Mister sneaky-chocolate-stealer, huh?” Stephen accused and turned Peter around so that they were facing one another. “Did you try and take our chocolate again?” The man asked. This wasn’t the first time he and Tony had caught Peter trying to steal their special chocolates. The boy didn’t even like most of them, yet he continued to try and taste them.

Peter scowled up at him. “Is mine too!” he claimed, trying to turn back around to grab it, but whined when he was held back by Stephen. “Daddy, stop!” He stomped his foot. “Gonna tattle on you! To— to Daddy!” He nodded, satisfied with his threat.

“Uhm, well good luck with that, because I’m positive that he’s on my side with this.” Stephen said and took the chocolate that Peter had tried to take. “Because this is grown up chocolate. You get your own on Fridays and special occasions. Yeah?” the doctor argued, reminding Peter of the rules that Tony had in place even before Stephen moved in.

Peter pouted, but didn’t argue anymore. He knew the rules and he knew that if it was Tony speaking to him right now, he’d already be getting lectured. Throughout the two months Stephen had been living with them, Peter had discovered that Stephen was much softer than Tony, which meant many things, but most of all—he could get away with more stuff. He raised his arms, silently demanding Stephen to pick him up, and did a happy squirm when he obliged. “How come Daddies can eat chocolate whenever?” he asked sulkily.

“We don’t eat chocolate whenever,” Stephen said and groaned softly when hauling Peter up into his arms, then situated him nicely on his hip. “We only eat it now and then, cause it’s a treat. And too many treats will rot our teeth. You don’t want that, now do you?” he asked as he brought Peter out of the room and back to the living room where they spent most of their time together.

Peter frowned and shook his head. He still didn't like that his chocolate intake was extremely limited, but he'd push it another time. He looked around and patted the side of Stephen's head, as if he didn't already have his Daddy's full attention. "Where's Daddy?" he demanded. 

Three months had passed since Stephen and Tony were caught kissing by Peter in the hospital after his accident, and it had been two since Stephen had started staying over more than he stayed at his own apartment. If this kept going steady like this, he would officially move in very soon. The doctor could hardly wait. He was like a giddy teenager in love, but at the same time he felt much more strongly about Tony now than he did about his teenage crushes. It was a wonderful combination of the intense teenage crush and the more mature feeling that this could be something wonderful, and wonderful in the long run. And then there was Peter of course. Stephen had just about cried when the boy called him ‘Daddy’ for the first time. Now, it rolled off his tongue as easy as anything. 

“Making dinner, I think. He promised us lasagna today,” Stephen replied and set Peter down again when they reached the kitchen where Tony was. He needed both hands to put away the chocolate in a cupboard where Peter wouldn’t reach it. That would be punishment enough, so Stephen didn’t tell on Peter to Tony.

Peter ran over to Tony and hugged him from behind. "Hi, Daddy!" he chirped, but frowned when Tony tutted, turning around.

Pressing a kiss to his head, Tony said, "Baby, you shouldn't be running around in the kitchen."

Peter's mouth dropped indignantly and he pointed at Stephen. "Daddy let me!" he claimed.

Looking up at his boyfriend, Tony gave Stephen a scandalised look. The doctor quickly shook his head to deny the claim. 

“I certainly did not, Peter. Listen to your Daddy now,” Stephen said, his voice a tad bit more stern now than just before with the chocolate incident.

Peter scowled at that. Not wanting to get into any more trouble, he poked Tony’s side and asked, “Food?” He tried going on his tiptoes to see what was on the stove but Stephen pulled him back gently.

“Let’s keep a safe distance, mister. I’d hate to have to patch you up again,” Stephen chuckled and teased gently, but made up for it by kissing the side of Peter’s head, just above where his pink scar was from falling three months ago. The boy’s hair had grown back again, so the only visible evidence of the accident that still remained was the occasional headaches and sleepiness. But with two Daddies watching him, he was well taken care of.

“Hungry,” Peter complained, grabbing Stephen’s hand and dragging him to the table. “Daaaa, hurry up!” He watched with delight and awe as Tony brought the food over to the table. “I feed myself?” he asked curiously.

“You can, but we’ll have to cut it up for you first,” Stephen bargained and helped Peter get seated on his spot at the head of the table while Stephen and Tony sat by his sides. Along with the lasagna, Tony had also made a simple salad, but he had not added any dressing yet. Peter hated them, so he would have to get his portion before the grown ups could add the dressing to the salad bowl.

Peter craned his neck to look at the salad bowl. He wrinkled his nose when he saw the avocado in it and complained, “Ick!” He turned to Tony. “Take it out,” he whined, but was distracted when Stephen placed a plate in front of him with his food cut up.

“You’ve had it before, Peter, and you liked it,” Tony reminded and put Peter’s salad bowl next to his plate of lasagna. “Eat up, bud. And then we can play a game together before bedtime.”

Peter pouted, mumbled, "Don't like it today," but visibly cheered up at the mention of a game. "Game?" he asked excitedly, looking at Stephen for confirmation, who nodded. "What kinda game?" He happily had a bite of Tony's absolutely delicious lasagna.

“That’s up to you, baby,” Tony said with a smile. It was rare that they had nights like this where both Stephen and Tony were home at the same time, especially considering Stephen’s work. But, tonight they were all home together, and they were planning to get the most out of it.

Peter ate eagerly now, not even noticing that he was eating the salad without complaint. "Umm..." He thought hard, then pouted. "I dunno," he whined. "Da, help."

“Hmm, we could play a board game? Or play Just Dance? Or build some legos?” Tony suggested and tried to ignore how wide Stephen’s eyes went at the suggestion of Just Dance. While Peter was as good as a Little could be, Tony was a master dancer of the game, leaving Stephen as the sore loser. So, he would rather not play that.

Unfortunately for Stephen, Peter had other plans. “Just Dance!” he exclaimed, clapping his hands. “Please, please, please!” He giggled when Stephen groaned and smiled sweetly at him. “Daddy, you okay? You hurting?” He reached over to press Stephen’s tummy.

“Hey, hey, stop that.” Stephen laughed and took Peter’s wrist to get his prying fingers away. 

Tony just laughed when he realised what Peter had misunderstood. “Pete, he’s not hurting. He’s just not very happy about Just Dance.”

Peter’s lips parted a bit at that and he sat back. “Daddy doesn’t wanna play Just Dance?” he asked sadly, looking at Stephen. He didn’t want to make his Daddy unhappy!

Oh, God, Stephen thought to himself. How could he say no? How could he ever? Perhaps he should take a caregiver class and learn to be more strict, like Tony. But that would have to wait for another day. “Of course I’ll play, Peter,” Stephen said, making Peter clap his hands gleefully while Tony rolled his eyes fondly.

“Yayyy!” Peter squealed excitedly. He turned to Tony and exclaimed, “Daddy likes Just Dance!” 

Tony choked back a snort of laughter at that and somehow managed to keep a straight face, just nodding. “Yeah, baby,” he agreed easily. “He loves it.” He ignored the death glare Stephen shot at him. 

Peter practically inhaled his lasagna, trying to finish quickly so they could play games sooner.

Stephen, of course, noticed how Peter was eating way too fast, but he didn’t say anything. However, he did communicate to Tony to interfere with his eyes as best as he could. Even though Peter had gotten over most of his phobia of doctors and medical related situations, they would still like to avoid an upset and achy stomach. 

“Peter, honey, slow down.” Tony chuckled and gently took Peter’s wrist so he would put down his fork. “Use your manners and eat nicely.”

“But game!” Peter whined through a mouthful of food. “Gotta— Gotta eat fast.” 

Tony levelled a look at him at that. “Sweetheart, Daddies are eating slowly, so even if you finish super duper fast, you’ll still have to wait. Let’s enjoy the meal together, okay?” He pressed a kiss onto Peter’s forehead, trying to soothe him. 

Peter looked at Stephen, as if demanding back-up immediately.

“Daddy’s right. Besides, if you eat too fast you’ll just end up with a tummy ache,” Stephen said, and the hint of him having to be ‘doctor-ly’ to fix that was definitely implied.

Peter visibly slowed down at that. He knew if he got a tummy ache, his Daddies would have to be all doctor on him and he didn’t like that very much.

Thankfully, soon enough they were done eating and Peter’s tummy felt nice and full now. Stephen helped him down from his seat and Peter poked his tummy before saying, “Just Dance?”

“Yes, yes, let’s just wait a bit till our tummies have settled with all the yummy food, yeah? We can do some colouring in the meantime.” Stephen suggested while Tony began clearing the table.

Peter nodded at that. “I wanna colour my puppies,” he decided, and Stephen chuckled and got out his favourite Paw Patrol colouring book. “Daddy, sit,” Peter demanded, patting the spot next to him. Peter liked to have his Daddies watch him play and colour; it was nice having a companion next to him. As Peter coloured in the picture with a purple crayon, biting his tongue as he concentrated, he asked, “Can we get a puppy?”

“A puppy?” Stephen asked, as if he hadn’t heard Peter the first time. But, by asking he gave himself some more time to think of an answer. He had only been living with Tony and Peter for two months. He could hardly make a decision about a possible pet, could he? No, Tony would have to decide that. When Peter nodded, Stephen hummed as if he was considering. “I think you’ll have to ask Daddy about that.”

Peter pouted, but nodded. He had wanted to convince Stephen since Tony was more firm, but it had obviously been too good to be true. “Okay,” he agreed easily, knowing that arguing wouldn’t get him anywhere. “Da’s coming!” He sat up and pointed, where Tony was coming from the kitchen and into the living room towards them.

“Peter wants a puppy,” Stephen said with a sigh when Tony entered and joined them by the table. “I told him to ask you about it,” the doctor said, throwing the ball into Tony’s court so that he would deal with this. The boy turned to Tony, his eyes wide and hopeful.

“Please, Daddy?” Peter asked pleadingly. “I want a puppy, just like this!” He pointed at the picture he was colouring. “It’ll be super cute!” He even climbed into Tony’s lap for good measure. 

Tony, looking helpless, glanced at Stephen, who shrugged. Tony had to suppress the urge to roll his eyes. This was payback for Just Dance, he thought dryly. When Peter let out another whine, Tony soothed him by petting his hair. “Let’s play Just Dance for now, baby,” he said with a smile. “Remember how you were excited for that? And then we can talk about a puppy later.”

When Peter turned to Stephen for support, the doctor nodded along with a sympathetic half smile. “A puppy is a big decision, Pete. We can talk about it another time.” Both he and Tony chuckled fondly at how the boy flopped over Tony’s shoulder dramatically at that. “A puppy is a huge responsibility. It would be reckless of us to just get a puppy without discussing if we can take care of it properly.”

“Okayyyy,” Peter whined, not wanting to hear it anymore. “Just Dance!” He patted Tony’s shoulder just a bit too hard out of frustration. He just wanted to play now, not having boring mean conversations.

“Okay, okay.” Tony chuckled and let Peter climb off of his lap, then patted his behind encouragingly. “Get the TV on and pick the version you want us to dance to,” the man said, knowing that Peter could work the TV like a master. “We’ll join you in just a bit.”

Peter squealed excitedly and ran off, making Tony laugh and bark, “Walk!” after him. They didn’t need the baby slipping and hitting his head. Grinning, he looked at Stephen and commented, “Get ready to lose. We gotta let the baby win for the first few rounds. Little rascal.” He chuckled.

“Oh, I’m not holding back,” Stephen laughed. Even when he tried his best, he still lost to Peter everytime. “You on the other hand...” the doctor said and pointed an accusing finger at Tony. “You need to tell me what your secret is.”

Tony shrugged and smirking, went in for a kiss. Pressing his forehead against Stephen’s, he whispered, “Not a chance.”

“Dadddiessss! Can’t find it!” 

Peter’s frustrated voice rang out, and Tony shot Stephen a look. “Did you hide the remote again, honey?” he asked, dragging the other man to his feet.

Perhaps he should have, Stephen thought with a laugh. That way he could escape Just Dance hell. But, in a way, this was far from hell. As far from hell as you could get in fact. The three of them under this roof was heaven, and perhaps they didn’t know it, but Stephen and Tony were imagining their future together simultaneously. Perhaps they should get a puppy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was it! Thank you all sm for reading, commenting and leaving kudos. Jae and I had sm fun writing this and we’ll surely be collabing again in the future. 
> 
> We’ll see you lovelies in the next story xx
> 
> \- Rafni


End file.
